Love Me Little, Love Me Long

uver to get within gunshot unseen, unheard. He stole from tree to tree, and muffled his footsteps in the long grass so ad

ve and pointed, b

en pheasant, netting a niece and a friend, went to the sa

are aware, is Lati

"domestic drama,"

r chronicle o

oner read than he flung on the table and went into a fury. Lucy

ark ones. "It is a confounded sham

hat, uncle? 'a

n't bear the sight of them, and the curse

knew al

distinct understanding I was never to be called upon to act. He was twenty years my junior, and like so much

even now. Can it be possible that a

" with an

rayed your

n't

What has

s all," snarl

cle! Po

w about poor me? Why, it tu

how could the poor

ever I say he could help dying? But he could help coming here

e, in spite of your pretenses to the contrary? To hide your emotion from your poor niece, you

h men are, and bad-hearted into the bargain. I believe that young fellow had been to a doctor, and found out he was booked i

ured relative. "You must say to yo

end a man to Bedlam. One breeds another, till they swarm and buzz you distracted, and sting you dead. '

ope to encounter much greate

euce y

ut ever having lived-a veg

wer' your lovers

your annoyance, dear." He explained to her with a groan that he should have to wind up all the

quite at home in this, you h

ister to pay them, and handsomely. It never occurred to me before, but now I see the monstrous iniquity of amateur executors, amateur trustees, amateur guardians. They take business out of the hands of those who live by business. I sincerely regret my share in this injustic

s, you

harge,' as the books call it. He has hair you could not tell from tow. He has no eyebrows-a little unfled

r or

him he never answer

r ch

ere is no need to reply in words-blushing must

ttle judicious kindness.

acred; no nuisances admitted here. Here, on this single spot of earth, reigns comfort, and shall reign unruffl

as it was with a sudden so

rpets velvet, and the whole structure care-proof; all is quiet gayety and sweet punctuality. Here comfort and good humor move by clock-wo

table, and, above all, to be comfortable myself. The place is well enough,

? not imm

to the reading of the will. It will be one hurry-scurry till we get the house clear of the corpse and the vultures; then at it I must go, head-foremost, into fathomles

dear u

r! the coffee is cold; the first time that has befallen me since I t

m bringing a fresh supply of fragrant slow poison, and sat beside him and soothed him till his ire went down, and came the calm depression of a man who, ac

romise, exacted by Lucy, that he should make her the p

friend Talboys will miss me; pray be kind to him while I am away. He is a particula

will be kind to him

ncle's departure (by the by, I think this must have been the reason of Davi

stanced, la

e days. Some of these MSS. bore recent dates, and were easily legible, though not so easily intelligible, being written as Gratiano spake.* The w

an infinite deal of

ee grains of wheat

af

arrow Germanifled letters, farther deformed by contractions and ornamental flourishes, whose joint e

nce had so completely broken down. She said to herself, "Oh dear! if I could find something among these old writings, and show it him on his return." She had them all dusted and brought down, and a table-cloth laid on a long table in the drawing-room, and spelled them wit

l, and, above all, born to endure, they

d rehearsal of a ne

words into their he

nd at the first per

e among the males;

(be it of pig-lea

i

; but the antique [Greek] tried her eyes too much at night, so she gave nearly her whole day to it, for she

ervant and caught Lucy at her work. After the first greeting, her eye rested with such undisguised curiosity on the "mouldy records" that Lucy told her in ge

is eye

ack at reading old writing.

too far on Mr. Dodd's good nature,

nts; I have seen him at this sort of work before now.

please my

or old gentleman be? We are here to act our own part we

ground. "After all, I don't know why I should be the one to say

ht Eve's meaning, she said: "That is true. Hail mother o

as; "they told me in the village he was away." Now several circumstances combined to make Lucy more communicative than usual. First, she had been studying hard; and, after long study, when a lively person comes to us, it is a great incitement to talk. Pitiful by nature, I spare you the "bent bow." Secondly, she was a little anxious lest her uncle's sudden neglect should have mortified Miss Dodd, and a neutral topic handled at

ressing the misanthropy Mr. Fountain had exhibited

o doubt the human or backbiting element; still, it was gossip, sacred gossip, far dearer than Shakes

to learn whether Eve and David were hurt or surprised at not being invited of late, and why she and he had not calle

evelations, nothing transpired on either side. See

all alone. I wish you would come o

saw her hesitation. "It is but a poo

lady, directly. "I will

be too ear

now my uncle is away.

s, six,

ur. Why derange your family for on

come along, my dears"; and with an ample and mock enthu

hall take them

am my own servant-if you

iced this, but said nothing. She pinned up her apron so as to mak