United States or Hungary ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Doubtless he would have asked the meaning of this cryptic utterance; but at this moment the two seamen from the Milo issued forth from the gateway up the road; and, descending a few paces, turned to call back farewell to Mrs. Treacher, who, having escorted them so far, halted under the arch and stood, with hands on hips, to watch them out of sight. "Wish 'ee well, I'm sure!" said Mrs. Treacher.
Treacher, to present your husband with one: that is to say, with the material, if you will not mind making it up." Mrs. Treacher curtsied. "And I thank you kindly, sir, for 'tis not before he needs one, which, being under average size and the width just a yard, as you may reckon, he oughtn't to take more than three-and-a-half yards at the outside."
It was a cross-examining look, and seemed to ask where he had found the money for all this extravagance. The Commandant, evading it, turned and stared down the road, where already the two seamen had passed out of sight. "You needn't mind them, sir," said Mrs. Treacher, reassuringly. "It's light come and light go with sailors."
To her glee she had noted that the Commandant kept his seat after service. For another thirty minutes at least the coast would be clear. She had never a doubt of bribing Mrs. Treacher or, to put it more delicately, of inducing her to talk. Mrs.
Three-quarters of an hour later he emerged in clean shirt and threadbare, but well-brushed, uniform, arrayed for Mr. and Mrs. Fossell's whist-party. As he passed the Garrison gate, Mrs. Treacher, who sometimes acted deputy for her husband, began to ring the six o'clock bell. He halted and waited for her to finish. "Mrs. Treacher," he said, "can you tell me the price of flannel?"
For the fog had parted suddenly, and through it, as through a breach in a wall, stepped Mrs. Treacher with a lantern, which she held up close to their faces. "Eh? Mrs. Pope and Miss Gabriel? Well, I declare!" "Bless you, Mrs. Treacher! But, however came you here?" "Why not?" asked Mrs. Treacher, after a pause. "Here, in the churchyard!... You don't tell me you've lost your way, too?"
But over the causeway, and up the channelled street she found her footing with the same confidence, steering far more cleverly than the Commandant, who followed as in a dream, amazed, oppressed with forebodings. It was all very well for her to talk lightly of persuading Mrs. Treacher. If she could, why then she must be possessed of a secret as yet unrevealed to Mrs.
In the dancing flame of it her diamonds sparkled as she turned to him. "Mrs. Treacher is upstairs," she said, "hunting out sheets to air for me. Now fill your pipe, please, and sit down and tell me all about it." Major Vigoureux found an old pipe on the mantel-shelf, dived in the tobacco jar for a few dry crumbs, filled, and lit and stamped out a spark that had dropped on the hearth-rug.
What with sea-water and scrambling after gulls' eggs, they was becoming a byword all over the Islands." The Commandant winced, not for the first time in this conversation. "Treacher makes his clothes last," he objected. "Sam Treacher's a married man, and gets his bad luck different." "But but couldn't you ask Mrs. Treacher to take your old ones in hand and put in a patch or two?
As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb! The ordeal lay three days off, and in three days anything might happen; but meanwhile this was certainly happening a woman accomplished and beautiful had stepped into his life and was changing all the colour of it. He guessed the danger, put purposely averted his thoughts from it and from the certainty of scandal. Archelaus, Treacher, Mrs.
Word Of The Day