There was nothing remarkable about the dress, except her wearing of it.
There is a grace of carriage that will make purple of sackcloth.
Still, the gown was well cut of fawn-coloured stuff, which her
stockings and shoes matched. Her face was generous--proud, too, yet
tender and very beautiful. The soft rose of her cheeks, the misty blue
of her eyes stood there for gentleness, the curve of the red lips for
pride. Wisdom sat in her temples under the thick dark hair. Strength
herself had moulded the exquisite chin. And a rogue of a dimple was
there to mock the lot of them--the print of the delicate finger of
Laughter herself, set in a baby's cheek twenty-five years before. A
tiny watch upon a silk strap served to enhance the slenderness of a
white wrist. Against the dark cloud of hair, which they were setting
straight, the pointed fingers stood out like living statuary. Lifted
elbows gave you the graceful line of her figure: the short skirt,
ankles to match the wrists....
Looking upon her, Lyveden forgot the world. He may be forgiven, for
she was a sight for sore eyes.
Having set her hair to her liking she put on her hat, pulling it down
with a fine careless confidence such as no manner of mirror could give.
She had not seen Lyveden when Patch, counting her Irish terrier an
intruder, took him suddenly by the throat....
In an instant the place was Bedlam.
My lady hovered about the combatants, one hand to her breast, the other
snatching frantically at her favourite's tail: Lyveden leapt to his
feet and, cramming his pipe into a pocket, flung himself forward: the
mistress of the inn and her maid crowded each other in the doorway,
emitting cries of distress: and the now ravening flurry of brown and
white raged snarling and whirling upon the brick pavement with all the
finished frightfulness of the _haute école_.
Arrived at close quarters, Anthony cast a look round. Then he picked
up the pair anyhow and swung them into the water-butt two paces away.
For a moment the contents boiled, seething as if possessed. Then, with
a fearful convulsion, the waves parted and the water gave up its prey.
Two choking, gasping, spluttering heads appeared simultaneously: with
one accord four striving paws clawed desperately at the rim of the
butt. The fight was off.
Intelligently the girl stepped up on to a convenient bench, and Anthony
lifted the Irish terrier out of his watery peril. As was to be
expected, he shook himself inconsiderately, and Anthony, who was not on
the bench, was generously bedewed. Then Patch was hauled out by the
scruff of his neck.... So far as could be seen, neither of the dogs
was one penny the worse. There had been much cry, but little wool.
Lyveden turned to my lady and raised his hat.
"I'm awfully sorry," he said. "My dog was entirely to blame."
"D'you mind controlling him now?" she said coldly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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