The Days of My Life: An AutobiographyOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
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The Days of My Life: An Autobiography
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret), 1828-1897
It brought the color to my cheek to think of going home with Harry, and
taking my husband with me to the dwelling of my youth. I was shy of my
father and Alice, under my new circumstances. If I had the first meeting
over, I did not think I would care for the rest--but the first meeting
was a very embarrassing thought. I was occupying myself with boding of
these pleasant troubles, when I heard voices approaching the door; the
Herr Professor's solemn English, and Harry's tones, franker and less
embarrassed than before. I got up hastily, and they entered; the
stranger came and took a seat by me; he began to tell me he had once
been in London, and what a wonderful place he thought it; his manner of
speaking was amusing to me--it was very slow, as if every word had to
be translated as he went on--but it was very good English
notwithstanding, and not merely German translated into English words;
and the matter was very good, sprightly and sensible; and I was very
much amused by his odd observations upon our habits, and the strange
twist the most familiar things acquired when looked at through his
foreign spectacles. He had a great deal of quiet humor, and made quaint
grave remarks, at which it was very hard to keep one's gravity. I
thought he was the last person in the world whom any one could call a
bore.
All this time Harry sat nervous and restless, with a flush upon his
face, taking little part in the conversation; but watching the very lips
of the stranger, as it seemed to me, to perceive the words that they
formed before he uttered them. I was very anxious that he should speak
rather of Harry, than of London. I should have liked so much to hear if
he was very popular among his companions, and very clever as a student;
but when I saw how very nervous and fidgety Harry was, I did not like to
ask, but sat in discomfort and strange watchfulness, my attention roused
to every word the professor said. I could not perceive that he said
anything of importance, and I really was very much disturbed and
troubled by the look of Harry.
Then suddenly the stranger turned round and began to speak to him in
German. Why in German? when he could speak English perfectly well, and
evidently liked to exhibit his acquirements. This put the climax to my
astonishment, and it did more than that, it woke a vague pang in my
heart, unknown before, which I suppose was that little thing called
jealousy; had Harry gone out on purpose to meet and warn him? was it at
Harry's request, and that I might not understand, that they spoke in
German? A sudden suspiciousness sprang up within me--was there, indeed,
some secret which Harry did not want me to know?--I who would have
counted it the greatest hardship in the world to have anything to
conceal from him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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