Part 59 (1/2)
A wave of scornful laughter went round the room as the question passed froalish even in their vices, they took a fight for granted, but were up in a moment to see some fun
The Marquess was disconcerted He obviously felt that I was about to reflect on hi out He would be tarnished by the dishonour that had driven entle the privileges of an insulted gentleman”
”Run away, farmer!” bellowed Sir Patrick raucously
Tiverton looked disdainfully at hientle a set piece froht of his arrival from Boston my friend was rudely insulted in the Strand by a certain person” Here he stopped, whirled round on the hulking scoundrel, and added grimly to him, ”I shall finish the story unless you leave the rooht better of it and slipped off like a disturbed night-prowler
”Thank you, my lord,” said I very hunorance entitles ain”
”Certainly,” said he, but with unmistakable uncertainty
I looked round the intent curious circle of faces and then at Brocton On his face and in his cruel eyes there were the sa anticipations that were there when, in Marry-aret to his foul will You could have heard a card drop in that crowded roo myself taut, I said slowly and distinctly, ”Here Now Fists”
Brocton went lihastly I strode up to him, took him, unresisted, by the scruff of the neck, and then said curtly, ”Open the door, Tiverton”
The willing little Marquess ran delightedly to do , and I kicked my lord Brocton into the kennel and out ofI went round to Tiverton's as usual, and while he was at breakfast, and ere starting our usual round of talk, in caer at such an hour
”Have you heard the news?” he asked abruptly
”What news?” asked Tiverton, rather sour at being cheated out of his rumble with me
”Mr Freake has declared that Miss Waynflete is to be his sole heiress,”
he replied
I had to thu that went the wrong way We had an excited talk about the nehich Sir James had received direct from Master Freake, which settled it as a fact beyond dispute or change Margaret was now the most desirable match in London from every point of view Blount went away quite pleased with the stir he had made
”Henry! Henry!” yelled Tiverton as soon as ere alone, and in came hiss? Das out, you old rascal! I'reatest lady in London town”
He hurried off after his servant, and I heard hi over his second toilet I crept miserably out of the house and made my way to the mews The ostler saddled iven ht
Mechanically, I went the e had intended to go, and found hts that overlook London from the north Then I pulled up
The towers of the Abbey stood out nobly against the steel-blue sky
Within their shadoas Master Freake's house where, by now, Tiverton would not have pleaded his love in vain I saw her there, in the splendid rooreater splendour, the exquisite Marquess at her feet, happy in possession of the pearl of great price Over this vision a shadow came, and I saw the house-place at the Hanyards, with our ed Kate alone in her sorrow Her flame-red hair hite as snow and tears of blood were on her cheeks Donald's farewell, _Weird h that was near of kin to a sob, I pulled the ed her northwards, northwards and ho I shi+rked everything, doing childishly and more than childishly I was not on Sultan, and when I rode out of Lichfield I hugged that simple fact to my heart So ave the lie todevious ways till, within four or five miles of home, I left even the by-ways and kept to the fields So keen was I on e the fact that it was now mine as it had been my father's before me About four o'clock on a Dece hoate
More of the drea down to the hill-tops like a great carbuncle set in gold, and the Hanyards was all aglow in its flain by pitching into Joe Braggs for his negligence, and the s of the house-place shi+mmered a welcome because of the cheerful blaze within