St. George and St. Michael

Name: St. George and St. Michael
Author: MacDonald, George

MacDonald, George

Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction

She took an early opportunity of informing her mistress of the
relationship between herself and Scudamore, stating that she knew little
or nothing of him, having seen him only once before she came to the
castle. The youth on his part took the first fitting opportunity of
addressing her in lady Margaret's presence, and soon they were known to
be cousins all over the castle.

With lady Margaret's help, Dorothy came to a tolerable understanding of
Scudamore. Indeed her ladyship's judgment seemed but a development of
her own feeling concerning him.

'Rowland is not a bad fellow,' she said, 'but I cannot fully understand
whence he comes in such grace with my lord Worcester. If it were my
husband now, I should not marvel: he is so much occupied with things and
engines, that he has as little time as natural inclination to doubt any
one who will only speak largely enough to satisfy his idea. But my lord
of Worcester knows well enough that seldom are two things more unlike
than men and their words. Yet that is not what I mean to say of your
cousin: he is no hypocrite--means not to be false, but has no rule of
right in him so far as I can find. He is pleasant company; his gaiety,
his quips, his readiness of retort, his courtesy and what not, make him
a favourite; and my lord hath in a manner reared him, which goes to
explain much. He is quick yet indolent, good-natured but selfish,
generous but counting enjoyment the first thing,--though, to speak truth
of him, I have never known him do a dishonourable action. But, in a
word, the star of duty has not yet appeared above his horizon. Pardon
me, Dorothy, if I am severe upon him. More or less I may misjudge him,
but this is how I read him; and if you wonder that I should be able so
to divide him, I have but to tell you that I should be unapt indeed if I
had not yet learned of my husband to look into the heart of both men and
things.'

'But, madam,' Dorothy ventured to say, 'have you not even now told me
that from very goodness my lord is easily betrayed?'

'Well replied, my child! It is true, but only while he has had no reason
to mistrust. Let him once perceive ground for dissatisfaction or
suspicion, and his eye is keen as light itself to penetrate and
unravel.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

St. George and St. MichaelMacDonald, George

History

St. George and St. Michael

MacDonald, George

Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction

She took an early opportunity of informing her mistress of the
relationship between herself and Scudamore, stating that she knew little
or nothing of him, having seen him only once before she came to the
castle. The youth on his part took the first fitting opportunity of
addressing her in lady Margaret's presence, and soon they were known to
be cousins all over the castle.

With lady Margaret's help, Dorothy came to a tolerable understanding of
Scudamore. Indeed her ladyship's judgment seemed but a development of
her own feeling concerning him.

'Rowland is not a bad fellow,' she said, 'but I cannot fully understand
whence he comes in such grace with my lord Worcester. If it were my
husband now, I should not marvel: he is so much occupied with things and
engines, that he has as little time as natural inclination to doubt any
one who will only speak largely enough to satisfy his idea. But my lord
of Worcester knows well enough that seldom are two things more unlike
than men and their words. Yet that is not what I mean to say of your
cousin: he is no hypocrite--means not to be false, but has no rule of
right in him so far as I can find. He is pleasant company; his gaiety,
his quips, his readiness of retort, his courtesy and what not, make him
a favourite; and my lord hath in a manner reared him, which goes to
explain much. He is quick yet indolent, good-natured but selfish,
generous but counting enjoyment the first thing,--though, to speak truth
of him, I have never known him do a dishonourable action. But, in a
word, the star of duty has not yet appeared above his horizon. Pardon
me, Dorothy, if I am severe upon him. More or less I may misjudge him,
but this is how I read him; and if you wonder that I should be able so
to divide him, I have but to tell you that I should be unapt indeed if I
had not yet learned of my husband to look into the heart of both men and
things.'

'But, madam,' Dorothy ventured to say, 'have you not even now told me
that from very goodness my lord is easily betrayed?'

'Well replied, my child! It is true, but only while he has had no reason
to mistrust. Let him once perceive ground for dissatisfaction or
suspicion, and his eye is keen as light itself to penetrate and
unravel.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

St. George and St. Michael

St. George and St. Michael

No reviews yet