Armorel of Lyonesse: A Romance of To-dayBesant, Walter
General
Armorel of Lyonesse: A Romance of To-day
Besant, Walter
Fraud -- Fiction; Isles of Scilly (England) -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction
She knew everything: the room had yielded all its secrets there were
no more cupboards, boxes, or drawers. The sight of the treasures
already began to pall upon her. She applied herself to putting
everything back. First the chagreen case. This she laid carefully in
its corner among the daggers and pistols, remembering that she had
promised to find the owner. How should she do that if she remained on
Samson? Then she put back the snuff-boxes, the miniatures, and the
watches in their silk handkerchiefs: then the box of rings and the
silver spoons and dishes. Then she put the tray in its place and laid
the bags in the tray, and locked the old sea-chest. This done, she
bore back to the shelves in the cupboard the punch-bowls,
candlesticks, tankards, and the big silver ship: she locked and
double-locked the cupboard-door: she crammed the lace into the
drawers, and put back the box of trinkets.
Then she dropped the keys in her pocket. Oh! what a lump to carry
about all day long! But the weight of the keys in her pocket was
nothing to the weight that was laid upon her shoulders by her great
possessions. This, however, she hardly felt at first.
Everything was her own.
When the new King comes to the throne he makes a great clearance of
all the personal belongings of the old King. He gives away his cloaks
and his uniforms, and all the things belonging to the daily life of
his predecessor. That is always done. Therefore, Queen Armorel--Vivat
Regina!--at this point gathered together all her predecessor's
belongings. She turned them out of the drawers and laid them on the
floor--with the great bonnet and the wonderful cap of ribbons. And
then she opened the door. She would give these things to Dorcas. Her
great-great-grandmother should have no more authority there. Even her
clothes must go. If her ghost should remain, it should be without the
bonnet and the cap.
She called Dorcas, who came, curious to know how her young mistress
took the Great Surprise. Armorel had taken it, apparently, as a matter
of course. So the new King stands upon the highest step of the Throne,
calm and collected, as if he had been prepared for this event, and was
expecting it day after day.
'You know all now, dearie?' she whispered, shutting the door
carefully. 'Did you find everything?'
'Yes--I believe I found everything.'
'The silver in the cupboard: the lace: the bags of gold?'
'I think I have found everything, Dorcas.'
'Then you are rich, my dear. No Rosevean before you was ever half so
rich. For none of it has been spent. They've all gone on saving and
adding--almost to the last she saved and added. Oh! the last thing she
lost was the love of saving, and the jealousy of her keys she never
lost. Oh! you are very rich--you are the richest girl in the whole of
Scilly--not even in St. Mary's is there anyone who can compare with
you. Even the Lord Proprietor himself--I hardly know.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account