Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England She and I. A Love Story. A Life History. Volume Two. by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ In Volume Two we have much the same personnel as in Volume One; the vicar and his sister Miss Pimpernell; Lady Dasher and her two daughters; Miss Spight and Mawley the curate; Min and Mrs Clyde; Catch the dog. Having set the scene in Volume One, Hutcheson goes on to weave a beautiful story round the love-affair between the hero, Lorton, and Min, she with the admirable grey eyes. We will not tell you how it fared--you must find that out for yourself. While I think the story was well-written, and it makes a very good audiobook to listen to, Hutcheson is still up to his tricks. Just to prove how brainy he is, he quotes extensively from French, German, Italian, Latin, and even in one place, Greek. In these days when our educations have been so dummed down, I find this unhelpful. To read a quotation from a good English poet is a joy and a pleasure, so why go elsewhere for a poetic quotation, except it be to show off. As in Volume One, Hutcheson sometimes invents words never seen elsewhere, but for which there is a good word in current use, but spelt slightly differently. And his punctuation is weird, too. I particularly dislike the dashes in his speech paragraphs, something like the following: "Hello,"--said the vicar;--"what a nice day it is." I have left these in, though I've corrected the novel spelling whenever possible. ________________________________________________________________ SHE AND I. A LOVE STORY. A LIFE HISTORY. VOLUME TWO. BY JOHN CONROY HUTCHESON CHAPTER ONE. I DREAM. True, I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air; And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. Il est naturel que nos idees les plus vives et les plus familieres se retracent pendant le sommeil. I had a most curious dream about Min that very night. Probably this was owing to the reactionary mental relief I experienced after all my doubts and jealousies--you know, "joie fait peur" sometimes. It might also have resulted from the stronger impression which my last interview with her had made upon my mind, coupled with all the sweet hopes and darling imaginings that had sprung suddenly into existence, when her rose-red lips told me in liquid accents that she loved me. How deliciously the words had sounded! I seemed to hear them now once more; and, that kiss of ecstasy--I almost felt it again in all its passionate intensity!