England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
Yes, they were there. He had Anne's arm tucked up under his, and his
head bent over her that she might catch his whispers. They turned round
at hearing our footsteps.
"Indeed we must go home, Mr. Angerstyne," said Julia Podd, who had
run down after me, and spoke crossly. "The college clock is chiming a
quarter to eleven. There's Mrs. Lake waiting for us under the Tower!"
"Is it so late?" he answered her, in a pleasant voice. "Time flies
quickly in the moonlight: I've often remarked it."
Walking forward, he kept by the side of Julia; Anne and I followed
together. Some of the boys were shouting themselves hoarse from the top
of the ascent, wanting to know if we were lost.
"Is it all settled, Anne?" I asked her, jestingly, dropping my voice.
"Is what settled?" she returned. But she understood; for her face looked
like a rose in the moonlight.
"You know. _I_ can see, if the others can't. And if it makes you happy,
Anne, I am very glad of it."
"Oh, Johnny, I hope--I hope no one else does see. But indeed you are
making more of it than it deserves."
"What does he say to you?"
"He has not _said_ anything. So you see, Johnny, you may be quite
mistaken."
It was all the same: if he had not said anything yet, there could be no
question that he meant soon to say it. We were passing the old elm-trees
just then; the moonlight, flickering through them on Anne's face,
lighted up the sweet hope that lay on it.
"Sometimes I think if--if papa should not approve of it!" she whispered.
"But he is sure to approve of it. One cannot help liking Mr. Angerstyne:
and his position is undeniable."
The sub-dean's dinner guests were gone, the three carriages bowling them
away; and the porter kept up a fire of abuse as he waited to watch us
through the little postern-door. The boys, being college boys, returned
his attack with interest. Wishing the Sankers good-night, who ran
straight down Edgar Street on their way home, we turned off up the
steps, and found Mrs. Lake standing patiently at her door. I saw Mr.
Angerstyne catch Anne's hand for a moment in his, under cover of our
entrance.
The morning brought news. Dr. and Mrs. Lewis were on their way to
Maythorn Bank, expected to reach it that evening, and the young ladies
were bidden to depart for it on the following day.
* * * * *
A wonderful change had taken place in Dr. Lewis. If they had doubted
before whether the doctor was not falling into his dotage they could not
doubt longer, for he was decidedly _in_ it. A soft-speaking, mooning
man, now; utterly lost in the shadow cast by his wife's importance. She
appeared to be smiling in face and gentle in accent as ever, but she
overruled every soul in the house: no one but herself had a will in it.
What little strength of mind he might have had, his new bride had taken
out of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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