The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories
counter-man in the little Gloucestershire town from which the correspondent wrote; it astonished him to see this mature and most respectable person. They talked on. Mr. Wigmore
olely of tuitional matters, began to take a turn more personal. Was he taking too much of M
rasped his beard and laughed. 'Well, it is strange, and I'd like to explain it to you. To begin with, I'll tell you what my age is; I'm seven-and-fo
, stroked his hard-felt hat, Top
fruiterer alone; it sounds more respectable, but the honest truth is, I do sell vegetable
e more honourable? I heartily wish
rtable, that's all. I gave my girls a good schooling, and what with that and their good looks, they've both made what may be called better marriages than m
phasis. Again Topham murmure
gentleman farmer. And they've both gone to live in another par
the brows and hardening of the mouth changed the expression o
Topham, 'that your daughters desir
instead of that he went to another a long way off. My son-in-law the gentleman farmer was to have taken a farm close by us; he altered his mi
by this disclosure of his domestic affairs; but he could not utter his thoughts. Topham tried the commonplaces naturally suggested b
ure time-the kind of book that does one good. Just now I'm reading The Christian Year. And since my daughters married-well, as I tell you
thought which made his brain warm. 'You would like to retire from busi
eful, but even yet the bu
round, 'that it sounds a strange thing to say, but-well,
no doubt whateve
f I gave up the shop and worked very hard at my studies-with help, of co
a peony; his
too, becoming excited, 'to beco
daughters and my sons-in-law would never feel ashamed of me-so that their children won't be
'speak more plainly. What do you wish to become? With compet
. Starkey? Then, sir'-he leaned forward, blushing
r three minutes he was mute with astonishm
ny one to enter the Church whom I thought unfitted for the sacred office. But in your case, my good sir, there can be no such misgiving. I entertain no doubt whatever
the idea had first come to him, how he had brooded upon it, how he had worked at elementary les
I don't look so high as that, Mr. Starkey. But a curate is a clergyman, and for my daughters
ith joy. Meanwhile Topham seemed to have
f I had time to work seriously
his eyes fall: 'You are, of c
y bu
licately approached the next thought he had in mind, Topham-cunning fellow-at one moment facilitating, at another retarding