The Landlord at Lion's Head — Volume 1Howells, William Dean
General
The Landlord at Lion's Head — Volume 1
Howells, William Dean
Artists -- Fiction; Massachusetts -- Fiction
"Then, if you wish to have him go to college, by all means let him go to
Harvard, I should say. It's our great university and our oldest. I'm not
a college man myself; but, if I were, I should wish to have been a
Harvard man. If Jeff has any nonsense in him, it will take it out; and I
don't believe there's anything in Harvard, as Harvard, to make him
worse."
"That's what we both think," said Jackson.
"I've heard," Westover continued, and he rose and stood while he spoke,
"that Harvard's like the world. A man gets on there on the same terms
that he gets on in the world. He has to be a man, and he'd better be a
gentleman."
Mrs. Durgin still looked serious. "Have you come back to Boston for good
now? Do you expect to be there right along?"
"I've taken a studio there. Yes, I expect to be in Boston now. I've taken
to teaching, and I fancy I can make a living. If Jeff comes to Cambridge,
and I can be of any use--"
"We should be ever so much obliged to you," said his mother, with an air
of great relief.
"Not at all. I shall be very glad. Your mountain air is drugging me, Mrs.
Durgin. I shall have to say good-night, or I shall tumble asleep before I
get upstairs. Oh, I can find the way, I guess; this part of the house
seems the same." He got away from them, and with the lamp that Jackson
gave him found his way to his room. A few moments later some one knocked
at his door, and a boy stood there with a pitcher. "Some ice-water, Mr.
Westover?"
"Why, is that you, Franky? I'm glad to see you again. How are you?"
"I'm pretty well," said the boy, shyly. He was a very handsome little
fellow of distinctly dignified presence, and Westover was aware at once
that here was not a subject for patronage. "Is there anything else you
want, Mr. Westover? Matches, or soap, or anything?" He put the pitcher
down and gave a keen glance round the room.
"No, everything seems to be here, Frank," said Westover.
"Well, good-night," said the boy, and he slipped out, quietly closing the
door after him.
Westover pushed up his window and looked at Lion's Head in the moonlight.
It slumbered as if with the sleep of centuries-austere, august. The
moon-rays seemed to break and splinter on the outline of the lion-shape,
and left all the mighty mass black below.
In the old porch under his window Westover heard whispering. Then, "You
behave yourself, Jeff Durgin!" came in a voice which could be no other
than Cynthia Whitwell's, and Jeff Durgin's laugh followed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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