Good Books

He
answered her in the mildest of mild voices.
"You are unlike yourself, my dear Froeken!" he said, with a soothing
gesture of one of his well-trimmed white hands. "You are generally frank
and open, but to-day I find you just a little,--well!--what shall I
say--secretive! Yes, we will call it secretive! Oh, fie!" and Mr.
Dyceworthy laughed a gentle little laugh; "you must not pretend
ignorance of what I mean! All the neighborhood is talking of you and the
gentleman you are so often seen with. Notably concerning Sir Philip
Errington,--the vile tongue of rumor is busy,--for, according to his
first plans when his yacht arrived here, he was bound for the North
Cape,--and should have gone there days ago. Truly, I think,--and there
are others who think also in the same spirit of interest for you,--that
the sooner this young man leaves our peaceful Fjord the better,--and the
less he has to do with the maidens of the district, the safer we shall
be from the risk of scandal." And he heaved a pious sigh.


Pages:
244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268