I'm a plain-
speaking woman, and what I say I mean.'
When the visitors were gone, and the sun had set, and the moon's
rays were just beginning to assert themselves upon the walls of
the dwelling, John Smith and his wife sat dawn to the newspaper
they had hastily procured from the town. And when the reading was
done, they considered how best to meet the new social requirements
settling upon them, which Mrs. Smith considered could be done by
new furniture and house enlargement alone.
'And, John, mind one thing,' she said in conclusion. 'In writing
to Stephen, never by any means mention the name of Elfride
Swancourt again. We've left the place, and know no more about her
except by hearsay. He seems to be getting free of her, and glad
am I for it. It was a cloudy hour for him when he first set eyes
upon the girl. That family's been no good to him, first or last;
so let them keep their blood to themselves if they want to. He
thinks of her, I know, but not so hopelessly. So don't try to
know anything about her, and we can't answer his questions. She
may die out of his mind then.'
'That shall be it,' said John.
Chapter XXXVII
'After many days.'
Knight roamed south, under colour of studying Continental
antiquities.
He paced the lofty aisles of Amiens, loitered by Ardennes Abbey,
climbed into the strange towers of Laon, analyzed Noyon and
Rheims. Then he went to Chartres, and examined its scaly spires
and quaint carving then he idled about Coutances.
Pages:
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474