Love stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Scotland -- Fiction
“Of course there is no need for me to say that he is a very gallant
fellow and a superb horseman, and that his manners are those of a
polished gentleman. Nor, further still, that I and mine are under a
deep debt of gratitude to him. But there are some things which a man
can do, or what is worse which he can leave undone, that show
distrust.”
“What things, for instance?” It was Judy who asked the question
falteringly; but it was to Joy that the answer was directed:
“Well, my dear, I shall illustrate. When I, wishing to show that we
all took an interest in him and his surroundings, mentioned Airlville
and spoke of clubs and such matters he did not proffer me any
information. Still, thinking that his reserve might be that usually
attributed to the stand-off-ness of the English as often accepted
here--that it was due to habit rather than intent--I asked him where
he lived in London. He wrote an address on one of his cards--which by
the way has no address graven on it--and handed it to me, saying:
‘That is only a lodging. I have not got a house yet.’ Then I asked
what clubs he belonged to; and he simply said ‘Several’ and began to
ask me questions about what sport we usually have in Kentucky. Now my
dear, I am not usually inquisitive; and as this man was my guest I
could not proceed in face of such a--a snub.” He winced at the word.
“But as I was really anxious that we should see more of one who had
rendered us so signal a service, I expressed a hope that when we were
in England in the summer we might have the pleasure of seeing him. I
am bound to say that he reciprocated the wish very eagerly. He asked
me a host of questions as to our plans; and I told him what we had
arranged about the Lake Country and the Border of which we have such
traditions in our family. He certainly has a very winning way with
him, and I quite forgot at the time his want of trust about his
residence and his clubs!”
“Perhaps he may have no home; he may be a poor man,” suggested Aunt
Judy. The Colonel answered her, this time directly:
“He may not be a rich man, but he is certainly not a poor one. You and
I” this to Joy “saw him pay three thousand for that horse. And he is
free with his money too in other ways. That police sergeant who was
with me this morning--and who, my dear, asked me to convey his
gratitude to you; I gave it for you--told me that the gentleman had
given him on the Viaduct a hundred dollars for himself, and then
another hundred for the officer who was run down.”
“How generous!” said Judy. Joy said nothing; but she leaned forward,
gladness in her eyes. There is some chord in a woman’s heart which
sounds to any touch of generosity or even of liberality. It is some
survival of conditions of primitive life, and a permanent female
attribute. Judy, anxious to propitiate her brother-in-law, and to
preserve the absent man’s character, said as though it were the
conclusion of some process of reasoning:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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