Smith and the Pharaohs, and other TalesHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
General
Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Adventure stories, English; Fantasy fiction, English; Short stories, English
After their marriage Anthony and Barbara hired a charming little
Georgian house at Chelsea near to the river. The drawback to the
dwelling was that it stood quite close to a place of public
entertainment called “The Gardens,” very well known in those days
as the nightly haunt of persons who were not always as respectable as
they might have been. During their sojourn in London they never entered
these Gardens, but often in the summer evenings they passed them when
out for the walks which they took together, since Anthony spent most of
his days at the Temple, studying law in the chambers of a leading
barrister. Thus their somewhat fantastic gateway became impressed upon
Barbara’s mind, as did the character of the people who frequented
them. As, however, their proximity reduced the rent of their own and
neighbouring houses by about one-half, personally they were grateful to
these Gardens, since the noise of the bands and the dancing did not
trouble them much, and those who danced could always be avoided.
When they had been married nearly a year a little daughter was born to
them, a sweet baby with violet eyes like to those of Barbara. Now
indeed their bliss was complete, but it was not fated that it should
remain, since the hungry sea took its sacrifice. The summer was very
hot in London, and many infants sickened there of some infantile
complaint, among them their own child. Like hundreds of others, it died
when only a few months old and left them desolate.
Perhaps Anthony was the more crushed of the two, since here Barbara’s
vivid faith came to her aid.
“We have only lost her for a little while,” she said, choking back
her tears as she laid some flowers on the little grave. “We shall find
her again; I know that we shall find her again, and meanwhile she will
be happier than she could have been with us in this sad world.”
Then they walked back home, pushing their way through the painted crowds
that were gathering at the gates of “The Gardens,” and listening to
the strains of the gay music that jarred upon their ears.
In due course, having been called to the Bar, Anthony entered the
chambers of an eminent Common Law leader. Although his prospects were
now good, and he was ere long likely to be independent of the
profession, he was anxious to follow it and make a name and fortune for
himself. This indeed he would have found little difficulty in doing,
since soon he showed that he had studied to good purpose; moreover, his
gifts were decidedly forensic. He spoke well and without nervousness;
his memory was accurate and his mind logical. Moreover, he had
something of that imaginative and sympathetic power which brings an
advocate success with juries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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