College teachers -- Fiction; Interpersonal relations -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
She remembered that her volume of Mozart Sonatas had appeared
mysteriously--that was why Richard had come to the house and not to see
her! The duets had been an afterthought, suggested by the new piano. He
had merely happened to have the book with him, being on his way
doubtless to Thomasina's. He would come to-morrow to fetch it--it was
evidently his dear, careless way to leave things about--and then he
would come no more.
If he did not come again--Eleanor looked out over the moonlit fields
and faced another problem, more serious than the recollection of Dr.
Lister's dangling shoelaces--or if he came to-morrow and took his book
away and made her feel that they were strangers, then she would suspect
that for Richard and the Listers, and therefore for Waltonville, she and
her mother were unknown because they were unknowable. If Waltonville
were merely careless or thoughtless or indifferent--that was nothing.
But if Waltonville were deliberate, that was another matter.
She could not sleep, though she longed now intensely to sleep. Another
disturbing thought roused her to greater wakefulness. Her mother seemed
always to have ample supplies of money for their needs. But the price of
the beautiful piano must have been enormous--had her mother been
unwisely extravagant? She should be told about their affairs.
When, at last, she fell asleep, it was to disturbing dreams. Bates
appeared to threaten her and she fled from him. She called upon Richard
Lister to rescue her, and Richard proved to be not himself, but Dr.
Green, who would have none of her. This imaginary behavior of Dr. Green
was not unjust, since all day Eleanor had not thought of him who was
next to her mother her best friend.
CHAPTER VIII
UTTERLY IS PUT UPON HIS METTLE
In the morning Utterly continued the search which was the chief object
of his visit to Waltonville. Passing the house of Dr. Green soon after
breakfast, he beheld that gentleman sitting inside his window. Dr. Green
looked up absent-mindedly and bowed. Utterly stopped short.
"I have had an amusing time hunting for my Basil Everman," said he in
his high, clear voice.
Dr. Green laid his paper on his knee and looked over his spectacles.
"Did you find him?"
"I found he was Mrs. Lister's brother, but not much more. They seem
singularly averse to answering questions about him, to say nothing of
offering any information."
"Possibly there isn't anything to offer," said Dr. Green, returning to
his paper.
Thus dismissed, Utterly departed, having taken a long and astonished
stare into Dr. Green's chaotic office, and having decided that he never
saw a spot better suited to the harboring of germs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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