United States or Spain ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I was late, seven being my hour: for on that day I had been engaged in the occasionally necessary, but always deferred, task of overhauling the ship, brushing here a rope with tar, there a board with paint, there a crank with oil, rubbing a door-handle, a brass-fitting, filling the three cabin-lamps, dusting mirrors and furniture, dashing the great neat-joinered plains of deck with bucketfulls, or, high in air, chopping loose with its rigging the mizzen top-mast, which since a month was sprained at the clamps, all this in cotton drawers under loose quamis, bare-footed, my beard knotted up, the sun a-blaze, the sea smooth and pale with the smooth pallor of strong currents, the ship still enough, no land in sight, yet great tracts of sea-weed making eastward I working from 11 A.M. till near 7, when sudden darkness interrupted: for I wished to have it all over in one obnoxious day.
There was a fumbling at the door-handle and a small, muffled voice came from the corridor: "I say, Len; I say, Marjorie, can I come in?" And in he walked, spotless and engaging, in a white sailor suit with baggy long trousers, his hair still wet from being tortured into corkscrew curls. "I'm all dressed for the party," he announced; "I'm not going to bed at all to-night."
"You're going, then for good like this?" Anna moved toward her and stopped. Sophy stopped too, with eyes that shrank from her. "Oh " Anna cried, and hid her face. The girl walked across the room and paused again in the doorway. From there she flung back: "I wanted it I chose it. He was good to me no one ever was so good!" The door-handle turned, and Anna heard her go.
I said; at which promising inquiry he looked up with a sudden radiance. "I could show it to Jessie," he said, thoughtful as ever of others. "It's less than a hundred days to your birthday, Gibbles," I said, and laid my hand on the door-handle. Gip made no answer, but his grip tightened on my finger, and so we came into the shop.
"He's off East, so he says," was the joyous reply; "sudden but sure, and I dunno why. Anyway, he's got the door-handle offered, and he's off without his camel." He stroked the neck of the bay lovingly. "How much?" Jowett held up his fingers. The old man lifted his eyebrows quizzically. "That-h'm! Does he preach as well as that?" he asked. Jowett chuckled.
I said; at which promising inquiry he looked up with a sudden radiance. "I could show it to Jessie," he said, thoughtful as ever of others. "It's less than a hundred days to your birthday, Gibbles," I said, and laid my hand on the door-handle. Gip made no answer, but his grip tightened on my finger, and so we came into the shop.
She merely stepped on, pale and white, pale and white, like one who walks in her sleep, and clutched the door-handle hard to keep her from falling. Gwendoline, now thoroughly alarmed, followed her close on her way to the top of the stairs. There Mrs.
Charlie, as usual, went his own way, and when the carriage drove slowly down the lane and drew up at the gate, he was riding triumphantly on the step, the door-handle in his hand, ready to open it. Bella stood by, nervously dreading the alterations she might see.
I turned the door-handle, and in an instant had crossed the fatal threshold, closed the door behind me, and stood in the presence of Madame Pelet. Gracious heavens! The first view of her seemed to confirm my worst apprehensions.
There was nothing more for him to say, and he quietly went out of the room. The click of the door-handle roused Clarice. She saw that the room was empty, and, drawing a breath of relief, started out of her chair. Standing thus she heard Drake's footsteps descending the stairs, and after a pause the slamming of the hall-door.
Word Of The Day