Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
"'Tis better thou shouldst think of something else beside my Lord
Cedric, for instance, his great demesne, Crandlemar Castle, the most
beautiful of his several seats; the splendid horses and equipages;
and, thyself, Lambkin, think of thyself bedecked in gorgeous hued
brocades; be-furbelowed in rare lace and costly furs. And thou wilt
have a maid to build thy hair, tie shoulder knots and make smart
ribbons and frills, and furbish bijoux and gems. And thou wilt wear
perfume, and carry a nosegay and fan. And thou wilt sweep the most
graceful courtesy and queen it everywhere with thy sweet graciousness.
Thy father says thou shouldst become an idol to the old man's heart,
as my lord is without wife or daughter."
"If his demesne be in England, 'tis but right he should become as far
as possible a genuine Anglo-Saxon, and if I can turn him, I will. How
soon does the boat sail?"
"Within forty-eight hours we shall be upon the sea and thou wilt
have begun to whimper and bemoan its awful swell. 'Twill have more
evacuating power than teeth-curtailed mustachios upon thy heretofore
staunch stomach."
"Nay, I will not believe my Lord Cedric such a man; and yet thou hast
drawn a picture that will be ever before me until I see him. Sister
Agnes would say,--'there is a sinfulness in doubt and anxiety,
inasmuch as such thoughts lash the soul to uneasiness and draw it
from celestial contemplations. Think not on it!' neither will I,
but rather, I will fancy the morrow's sun glinting upon myriad
white-capped waves; the bosom of the ocean swelling with emotion
and--didst say 'twould make me ill, Janet?"
"I am afraid of it, 'twill be glorious if thou art not; for 'tis a
wonderful thing to see the rise and fall of sun and moon, and witness
storms that seldom fail to lend their fearfulness to the voyagers of
so long a journey."
"Wilt thou be afraid, Janet?"
"Nay, not I; 'twill be the elixir of ambrosia to breathe salt air
again, and the stronger and more mist-laden the better to knock out
foul exhalations sucked in these nine years from musty walls. 'Twill
be sweet to have the wind rap from us the various fungi that comes
from sunless chambers. Ah, a stiff breeze will rejuvenate thy fifteen
years one month to a lusty, crowing infant and my forty all-seasons to
a simpering wench."
"How splendid, Janet!" Katherine threw out her arms and drew a long,
deep breath. "'Twill be glorious to breathe pure, free air!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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