Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 3Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
General
Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 3
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
English fiction -- 19th century
monkey—and I could have done nothing with him; I lack the tact or
whatever it is that is needful. But he is changed also, unobtrusive,
self-respecting, learned, and modest—she has brought up Allah’s slipper
out of him.”
“You are a weather-cock, James. At one time you were all against the
aristocracy, and now no one can do anything right unless he has blue
blood in him. And yet—you call yourself a Radical.”
“So I am—a Radical still,” said Welsh. “I have not altered my opinions,
but my mode of procedure. I do not want to pull the aristocracy down,
but to pull all society up to it. I don’t say that no one can fetch up
Allah’s slipper but a born gentleman, but I do say that no one who has
not attained to the aristocratic ease in a superior position, is likely
to descend to seek Allah’s slipper, wherever it is to be found. I may
have been wrong in thinking the best way of advancing society was by
pinching the calves of those who sat above me, so as to make their seat
intolerable, instead of lending a hand to help up those below to a share
of my stool. Do you understand me, old woman?”
“I do not think I do. You have such a figurative method of speaking,
James.”
CHAPTER LIV.
MEGALITHIC.
One bright summer day, when the sea was still and blue as the nemophyla,
and twinkling as if strewn with diamond dust, Arminell was in her
garden, with an apron on, gloves over her hands, a basket on her arm,
and scissors for flowers.
At the end of the garden, partly screened by rhododendrons, was a
summer-house, and outside it some lumps of plaster of Paris, pots of
oil-paint, and slabs of slate, smeared with mortar. Occasionally the
door of the pavilion opened, and a man issued from it wearing a
brown-holland blouse, and on his head a paper cap. Particles and
splashes of plaster marked his face, especially about the nose, where he
had rubbed with a white finger.
“I will have it all cleaned away, Giles,” said Arminell. “How are you
getting on with the models?”
“Very well, only the plaster does not set as fast as I could wish. When
I have got the dolmens of Gozo and Constantine, of Lock Mariaker and
Madron to scale, side by side, the most prejudiced persons must agree
that the similarity of construction is strong evidence of identity of
origin. I can show on my map of megalithic monuments where the stream of
dolmen builders travelled, how that it set from Asia, along the margin
of the Baltic, and then branched north over Britain, and south over
Gaul. I can prove conclusively that they were not Gauls and Kelts. Just
come and look at my cromlechs and dolmens in the rough. The resemblance
_saute aux yeux_. We must establish their geographical distribution, and
then compare their points of similarity and dis——”
“Please, ma’am, a lady and a young gentleman are in the drawing-room,
and want to see you.”
“What names?”
“They gave none, ma’am.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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