The Silver Lining / A Guernsey Story

upt Di

rs prepared to pay

the Conqueror when he set out from Normandy to

ore than ordinary care, his

fined young lady in this strange place. She is a rose among thistle

sed man, the other, an old ignorant hag, her face of a dirty yellow, and her jaw! it reminds me of a

ed soliloquizi

y well," he thought. "How strange that I had not noticed this be

d not leave him, he called himself a simpleton, scolded himse

her!" (this was a delicate piece of flattery); "I am going to

red Mrs. Mathers, pleased to

a decided gait. After an hour's walk he arrived

or. On her devolved the duties of hostess, whi

eant was seated before a fire in an easy-chair. F

nd beckoning Frank to a chair close to

agriculture which astonished the farmer considerably. He had the tact to respect Mr.

about farming than I do

alk about agricultural chemistry, b

me facts, show me results. A great many people write about

was not a man to be contradicted. He looked at Adèle. She was smiling, but dir

t his farm. It was all the world to him, and alm

r read

ut one workman, a man about sixty years old, who had worked for the Rougeants for more than forty years. His name was Jacques Dorant. Then, there was his horse;

e has never been such a horse since the days

reful about his tenure. He spoke in a voice which he endeavoured to soften; he uttered the best English which he could frame,-for Mr. R

which he had seen growing in a field close by. At which

ed to gather before his eyes, he managed to glance rapidly in the direction of Adèle. A thrill of delight shot through

tea, Mr. Mathers," said the farm

d the invitat

m to help to prepa

rnished. His eyes alighted on a painting which represented a cow standing near a cattle-shed. "What a shocking displ

e her, the little white patches and that little bump on her back. I gave my friend ten shillings for that painting; just think, ten shillings, seven pounds of butter. But," he added by way of consoling himself,-for his avaricious heart was already r

rom smiling. His host took it for a genuine smi

le announced that

perplexity as to how he should avoid breaking a

savagely. A minute after that, while gallantly passing a plate containing gache à corinthe to Adèle, he knocked it against the sugar basin, overset the latter, and sent the pieces of sugar and cake

r was: "In my time, servants used to eat at the same table as their masters, but our Miss says that sh

Adèle, make haste, so that the g

g soon," wa

make enough noise. Give me a harmonium or a cornet. But my daughter persists in saying that she will not learn anything

tuned. She appeared confident of success. She placed hers

the father, "what

said. "It is of no use trying to play if the instrumen

y on the viol

won't criticiz

he outward world, her whole attention was concentrated on her violin a

became louder and louder till it reached its climax; the bow bounded over the strings, the fingers

fair musician. He had never imagined that an in

could read music, so he rose, scanned the music, was

hed playing

ightly flushed

finished thus: "In short, your playing seems to have as muc

tea-time. Now his imagination had ripened into certainty-so he thought. The young people must be for ever separated.

ked back at him. Their astonis

nk, "I am going to retire, I th

ank. He looked at Adèle, then sudd

extremely vexed at her father's demeanour. She

said, "I am very sorry-it's shocking-I am exceedingly angry wi

n farewell, Frank said: "I quite forgive Mr. Rouge

the stable, he saw a man engaged in cleaning, a horse. "Come what

id, speaking in Frenc

broken English. "You needn't talk in French, I kno

iliar to me. Of course, my step-mother's brothe

an as rescued him from drowning. Lucky for him, old chap, that you w

care of th

out here, for the bos doesn't do much now, but he

forming his opinion of this member of the equine genus. Here is his judgment:

b?" said

e, I mean, working

Rougeants for forty-two years, and the old fellow's never given me more than my day's wage." Then he add

ncome, was to old Jac

t I have scraped together, I would not trouble to work any more, I would have eno

des, the house we live in is ours. Built

not?" questioned Frank, anxious

een dead now for-let me see-twelve-thirteen-fourteen

ugeant is n

rl she is,"-this was sai

been very well ed

ly ten years. I bet she don't get on too well with the guv'nor, he's such an old feller for brass. She's a good 'un, too; now and then she goes to see my old missus, and she isn't partic'lar about givin

een the sort of man that h

e built that there little conservatory, but as soon as she was gone, he began to pinch and screw; why, fancy, he used to shave himself, but now his razor's broke, he says he doesn't care

t, then,"

.-"Whog back old mare-steady!" Fra

terday, was now full of obstacles. Mr. Rougeant was rich; judging from his demean

e he could find on his side. None. He