United States or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Two sailors were supporting a ghastly figure that, with feeble motions, was drawing near the open grave. 'It's t' specksioneer as tried to save him! It's him as was left for dead! the people murmured round. 'It's Charley Kinraid, as I'm a sinner! said Molly, starting forward to greet her cousin. But as he came on, she saw that all his strength was needed for the mere action of walking.
Sylvia pondered it more deeply still; the causes for her disbelief, or, at any rate, for her wonder, were unknown to Hester! Many a time she sank to sleep with the picture of the event narrated by Mrs. Kinraid as present to her mind as her imagination or experience could make it: first one figure prominent, then another.
'Them were wicked, wicked words, as I said; and a wicked vow as I vowed; and Lord God Almighty has ta'en me at my word. I'm sorely punished, Philip, I am indeed. He pressed her hand, he stroked her cheek. But he asked for yet another word. 'I did thee a wrong. In my lying heart I forgot to do to thee as I would have had thee to do to me. And I judged Kinraid in my heart.
Kinraid, though mortified by his public rejection, was more conscious of this than the inexperienced Philip; he resolved not to be baulked, and watched his opportunity. For the time he went on playing as if Sylvia's conduct had not affected him in the least, and as if he was hardly aware of her defection from the game.
From that he gathered that Kinraid had promised them new year's gifts, for the purchase of which they were come; and after a little more listening he learnt that Kinraid was returning to Shields the next day, having only come over to spend a holiday with his relations, and being tied with ship's work at the other end.
Then she went on quickly, and lifting her beautiful eyes to Philip's face, with a look of inquiry 'He thinks as Charley Kinraid may ha' been took by t' press-gang.
I should ha' thought you'd seen enough of what sorrow comes o' fighting. Why, them lads o' t' Aurora as they say Kinraid shot down had fathers and mothers, maybe, a looking out for them to come home. 'I don't think he could ha' killed them, said Sylvia; 'he looked so gentle. But Molly did not like this half-and-half view of the case.
Philip muttered something, and held out the coin to Captain Kinraid, of course in vain; nor was there time to urge it back upon the giver, for the obstacle to their progress was suddenly removed, the crowd pressed upon the captain and his wife, the procession moved on, and Philip along with it, holding the piece in his hand, and longing to throw it far away.
Kinraid threw his arms out of bed with impatience at all this plausible talk, which was even more irritating than the fact that Hepburn was still undiscovered. 'The man was no friend of mine; I was like to have killed him when last I saw him. He was a shopkeeper in a country town in England.
Not that Kinraid knew or cared one jot about those gallant knights of old: all he knew was, that the French, under Boney, were trying to take the town from the Turks, and that his admiral said they must not, and so they should not. He and his men landed on that sandy shore, and entered the town by the water-port gate; he was singing to himself his own country song,
Word Of The Day