The Duchess of Rosemary Lane: A NovelFarjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
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The Duchess of Rosemary Lane: A Novel
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
English fiction -- 19th century
Had he suspected it to contain gunpowder he could not have broken the
seal more timidly. It was a letter without an envelope, folded in the
old-fashioned way, and when it was opened, a thin paper enclosure
fluttered to the ground. In his anxiety Seth did not notice what had
escaped, and he turned the letter this way and that, without meeting
with any writing but the address. Singular as it was, he experienced a
feeling of relief at this dispersal of his fears.
"Here's something dropped, Daddy," said Sally, in a tone made almost
gay by the change of expression in Seth's countenance.
Seth took the enclosure from Sally's hands. It was a Bank of England
note for ten pounds.
"Why, it's money!" he exclaimed.
"Money!" cried Sally.
"Yes, Sally, money." He glanced up at the ceiling with an air of
comical wonder. "We're in Tom Tiddler's ground, Sally."
"No, no," cried Sally, clapping her hands in glee, "it didn't drop
from there. It dropped out of the letter."
"That's more wonderful, then, than all the rest put together. Out of
the letter! There's not a letter in the letter, Sal--not one, from A
to Z." He laughed aloud, and Sally laughed in sympathy. "I don't care
where this comes from, nor why it has come. What I know is, it's the
brightest bit of good luck that ever happened to a man. This piece of
paper's a looking-glass, my child. Look at it--what do you see in it?"
Literal Sally, looking at the bank-note, as Seth held it open before
her, began at the beginning.
"There's a picture of a lady with a wand in her hand----"
"Britannia ruling the waves. Is that all you can see in it?"
"No; there's--what funny letters, Daddy! I never saw any like 'em
before. There's B-a-n-k, Bank----"
Seth took up the word, and read the note from beginning to end, and
then repeated his question, "Is that a l you can see in it?"
"That's all, Daddy."
"Sally, I'm cleverer than you. I take the note, and put it before me
like this---- Stop a minute." The Duchess had fallen asleep in his
arms, and he placed her gently on the bed. "Now we can get along. I
look at the note like this, and I see--yes, I see a coach, with you
and me and the Duchess sitting on the top of it."
"O Daddy!"
"Here we go, driving into the country. Such a ride, Sally! I see green
fields and flowers and fresh air for our darling in it----"
It was with difficulty that Sally kept herself still to hear the rest.
"I see two weeks of green fields and fresh air for our darling in it.
And I'm not quite sure that I don't see the sea. Do I see the waves
creeping up, Sally?"
"I don't know--oh, _do_ you see 'em, Daddy, do you?"
"It's got a little bit cloudy about here"--tracing an imaginary line
with his finger--"but it'll clear up soon. And, Sally, I see something
still better in it. I see roses for our Duchess's cheeks in it,
sparkles for her eyes, lightness for her foot. Kiss the note, Sally. I
never thought I should come to worship Mammon, but I do worship him
now, with all my heart."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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