A Whim, and Its Consequences: Collection of British Authors Vol. CXIV — John Shaqi
A Whim, and Its Consequences: Collection of British Authors Vol. CXIVJames, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
A Whim, and Its Consequences: Collection of British Authors Vol. CXIV
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Fiction
"There's another reason besides that," answered Lockwood, "why we see
so few mount high now-a-days. It's all like bread and butter at a
school; there's but a certain portion of butter for the whole; and if
the number of mouths be increased, it must be spread thinner. However,
as I have said, you can do what you like; for you are young,
determined enough for anything, and have a good education, so you may
be a great man, if you like."
"You have had a good education too, Lockwood," replied the other.
"Ay, but not so good as yours," said his companion. "Mine has been
picked up anyhow; and a man never makes much of that. Besides, you
have always been accustomed to keep company with gentlefolks; and I am
a boor. Education means something else than cramming a man's head with
Greek and Latin, or mathematics either; and, moreover, I don't want to
be a great man, if I could. To me it would be as disagreeable, as you
will find being a little one."
"Well, well, we have settled that question," said Chandos; "and for
the future God will provide."
He then walked up to one of the large bookcases, carved like the
screen of an old church, took down a volume so covered with dust that
the top looked as if it were bearing a crop of wool, opened it, and
read a few lines mechanically. Lockwood stood near, with his arms
folded on his broad chest, gazing at him with a thoughtful look, then,
tapping him lightly on the arm, he said, "You have forgotten one
thing: you will have to receive all these fine things some day soon;
how will that square with all your fine plans?"
Chandos took a moment or two to reply; for it would seem, he had not
indeed considered the subject. "I will tell you, Lockwood," he said;
"I will give you an order to receive them in my name. I shall be near
at hand, to do anything more that may be necessary."
"But what am I to do with them?" asked Lockwood, frightened at the
idea of such folio volumes, and awful bookcases. "But I will tell you
what I can do," he added, a moment afterwards. "There's the young
parson over at Northferry, he's a good young man and kind, I have
always heard, though I don't know him, and has a large house not yet
half furnished. He'll give them place, I'm sure. We can talk of that
afterwards. But it must be the good folks' dinner hour, by this time;
and keepers have huge appetites."
"Well, let us go back," said Chandos, with a sigh. "But we can walk
through the rooms. It will not take us longer."
"The base and the perpendicular are always in their sum more than the
hypotenuse," replied Lockwood, drily. "But doubtless they are not so
ravenous as to grudge a few minutes to look at places you have not
seen for so long, and may never see again.--Odd's life, pull the place
down! They must be mad!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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