Evan Harrington. Volume 6

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George Meredith. Evan Harrington. Volume 6

CHAPTER XXXII. IN WHICH EVANS LIGHT BEGINS TO TWINKLE AGAIN

CHAPTER XXXIII. THE HERO TAKES HIS RANK IN THE ORCHESTRA

CHAPTER XXXIV. A PAGAN SACRIFICE

CHAPTER XXXV. ROSE WOUNDED

CHAPTER XXXVI. BEFORE BREAKFAST

CHAPTER XXXVII. THE RETREAT FROM BECKLEY

CHAPTER XXXVIII. IN WHICH WE HAVE TO SEE IN THE DARK

Отрывок из книги

The Countess was not in her dressing-room when Evan presented himself. She was in attendance on Mrs. Bonner, Conning said; and the primness of Conning was a thing to have been noticed by any one save a dreamy youth in love. Conning remained in the room, keeping distinctly aloof. Her duties absorbed her, but a presiding thought mechanically jerked back her head from time to time: being the mute form of, 'Well, I never!' in Conning's rank of life and intellectual capacity. Evan remained quite still in a chair, and Conning was certainly a number of paces beyond suspicion, when the Countess appeared, and hurling at the maid one of those feminine looks which contain huge quartos of meaning, vented the cold query:

'Pray, why did you not come to me, as you were commanded?'

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'And Sir Franks!' her head shook: 'and Rose, Rose is, simply self-willed; a "she will" or "she won't" sort of little person. No criterion! Henceforth the world is against us. We have to struggle with it: it does not rank us of it!'

'Your feeling on the point is so exaggerated, my dear Louisa', said Evan, 'one can't bring reason to your ears. The tattle we shall hear we shall outlive. I care extremely for the good opinion of men, but I prefer my own; and I do not lose it because my father was in trade.'

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