United States or Norway ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Ay, ay, I'll see about it," mumbled the old woman; "that'll fetch a doctor quick enough, you may be sure." She made her way slowly and painfully down the creaking stairs, and after a while returned. "Doctor'll be here soon, ma'am, I'll warrant," she said. Lady Oldfield sat on the box by the bed, watching her son's wild stare and gesticulations in silent misery.
The club man saw that Mrs. Chester was not going to cry, and took courage. "We need your help," the lady continued, "and we are sure you will give it to us." "I shall be very glad if I can in any way assist or oblige you, Mrs. Chester," Oldfield assured the elder lady, while he looked determinedly away from the younger one, who, he was positive, was getting ready to cry.
The air was never so soft, the skies were never so clear and far, and they were looking down indulgently on all this earthly turmoil when, something before midnight, on the fateful eve, Nicholas Oldfield went up the path to his side-door, and stumbled over despairing Mary on the step. "What under the heavens" he began; but Mary precipitated herself upon him, and held him with both hands.
Then for one moment they were pressed heart to heart, and lip to lip but for one moment, and then, "Farewell," "Farewell." One week later, and three men might be seen walking briskly along a by- street in Liverpool towards the docks. These were Hubert Oliphant, Frank Oldfield, and Captain Merryweather, commander of the barque Sabrina, bound for South Australia.
For Nicholas Oldfield was looked upon with a respect not so much inspired by his outward circumstances as by his method of taking them. There are, indeed, ways and ways among us who serve the public.
Sir Thomas and Lady Oldfield have left it for an absence of several years; indeed, many doubts are expressed in the neighbourhood whether they will ever come back to reside there again. There is the stamp of neglect and sorrow upon the place. Sir Thomas has become a more thoughtful man he is breaking up, so people say.
It so happened that this man lighted on Juniper one day near his master's house, and a very few minutes' conversation made the groom acquainted with the former connection between this cottager and Frank Oldfield. "Ho, ho!" laughed Juniper to himself. "I have it now. Good-bye to teetottalism. We'll soon put an end to him."
LADY BETTY MODISE .... Mrs. Oldfield. LADY EASY .... Mrs. Knight. LADY GRAVEAIRS .... Mrs. Moore. MRS. EDGING .... Mrs. Lucas. How the performance came about let Cibber explain.
The tenants dined in one tent, the labourers and their wives in the other. Sir Thomas and Lady Oldfield presided in the former, and Frank took the head of the table in the latter. Mr and Mrs Oliphant and Mary sat near the baronet.
So it came to pass that when the procession wound slowly up from the cross-road, preceded by the elephant, lifting his trunk at rhythmic intervals, Nicholas Oldfield saw his little Mary, her eyes shining and her cheeks aglow, sitting proudly upon a sledge, drawn by the handsomest young man in town.
Word Of The Day