The
hope of deliverance, once admitted into her mind, overcame all
perplexities.
A little while and the canon came in glowing hot. "_Pouf!_" and he wiped
his rubicund, round visage with a handkerchief as brilliant. Coming
straight from the glare out of doors, he was not aware of the stranger
in the _salon_ till his eyes were used to the gloom. Then madame and
Bessie effected Harry's introduction, and as Harry, with a rare wisdom,
had practised colloquial French, he and the canon were soon acquainted.
Once only had the old man visited England, a visit for ever memorable on
account of the guinea he had paid for his first dinner in London.
"Certainly, they took you for an archbishop or for a monsigneur," said
Harry, when the old story of this cruel extortion was recited to him.
The canon was pleased. This explanation gave a color of flattery to his
infamous wrong. And madame thought her brother had quite _l'air noble_.
Babette summoned them to _dejeuner_. Harry stayed gladly at a hint of
invitation. Across the table the two young people had a full view of
each other, and satisfied their eyes with gazing. Bessie looked lovely
in her innocent delight, and Harry had now a maturer appreciation of
her loveliness. He himself had more of the student aspect, and an air of
lassitude, which he ascribed, as he had been instructed, to overstrain
in reading for the recent examinations. This was why he had come
abroad--the surest way of taking mental rest and refreshment.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164