Читать книгу The Dean's Elbow - A.E.W. Mason - Страница 7

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At all events, to-day the buccaneer was going upon his holiday and not quite sure that he was ever going to return to Brooke's Market. He said as much to Mona Lightfoot when he came out from his bedroom attired in a light grey suit and carrying in his hand the kind of straw hat which is known as a gent's boater. It cannot be said that the change improved his appearance. In later years he acquired a curious delicacy and refinement of feature which, joined with the mark of authority, made of him a figure at which all men looked twice. Now he was not merely common place, he was common—a common young man with his thick brown hair growing too low upon his fore head, a fair moustache, and a long face. He had certainly a good strong pair of grey eyes, but they were too little alert to be noticeable. Indeed the only quality he had noticeable at all by the general run of his acquaintances had nothing to do with his looks. It was a curious aloofness peculiar to young people of vast ambitions, indefinable, yet immediately felt. It allowed him to be one of but never one with a group of his equals and associates. It was an aura which all the world could see. It made his friends consider what they had to say before they spoke to him. It led a few, a very few, to prophesy "That young man will go far."

He stood by Mona's side, following the direction of her eyes.

"Very likely I shall never go into that building again," he said with a laugh.

Mona turned to him with consternation upon her face.

"You? Mr. Mardyke can't be getting rid of you!"

"I don't know. He's a funkstick. And I did make a bad break this spring." Thewliss answered with a laugh which had not one note of remorse in it.

"But he couldn't do without you," cried Mona indignantly.

"Well, he has got three weeks to make up his mind about that," said Thewliss. "Let's go to Frascati's. I'll tell you about it there."

But the three weeks had passed before he told her.