The Trial; Or, More Links of the Daisy ChainYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
General
The Trial; Or, More Links of the Daisy Chain
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Domestic fiction; England -- Fiction; English fiction -- 19th century; Trials (Murder) -- Fiction
His first movement of indignation was to seize the dog with no gentle
hand. She whined loudly; and Leonard, whom he had not seen, shouted
angrily, 'Let her alone;' then, at another cry from her, finding his
advance to her rescue impeded by a barricade of the crowded and
disarranged furniture, he grew mad with passion, and launched the stone
in his hand, a long sharp-pointed belemnite. It did not strike Henry,
but a sound proclaimed the mischief, as it fell back from the surface
of the mirror, making a huge star of cracks, unmarked by Leonard, who,
pushing sofa and ottoman to the right and left, thundered up to his
brother, and with uplifted hand demanded what he meant by his cruelty.
'Is--is this defiance?' stammered Henry, pointing to the disordered
room.
'Look here, Averil,' as she appeared at the sounds, 'do you defend this
boy now he has very nearly killed me?'
'Killed you!' and Leonard laughed angrily; but when Henry held up the
elf-bolt, and he saw its sharp point, he was shocked, and he saw horror
in Averil's face.
'I see,' he said gravely. 'It was a mercy I did not!' and he paused.
'I did not know what I was about when you were misusing my dog, Henry.
Shake hands; I am sorry for it.'
But Henry had been very much frightened as well as angered, and
thought, perhaps, it was a moment to pursue his advantage.
'You treat things lightly,' he said, not accepting the hand.
'See what you have done.'
'I am glad it was not your head,' said Leonard. 'What does it cost?
I'll pay.'
'More than your keep for a year,' moaned Henry, as he sighed over the
long limbs of the starfish-like fracture.
'Well, I will give up anything you like, if you will only not be sulky
about it, Henry. It was unlucky, and I'm sorry for it; I can't say
more!'
'But I can,' said Henry with angry dignity, re-inforced by the sight of
the seamed reflection of his visage in the shivered glass. 'I tell
you, Leonard, there's no having you in the house; you defy my
authority, you insult my friends, you waste and destroy more than you
are worth, and you are absolutely dangerous. I would as soon have a
wild beast about the place. If you don't get the Randall next week,
and get off to the University, to old Axworthy's office you go at once.'
'Very well, I will,' said Leonard, turning to collect the fossils, as
if he had done with the subject.
'Henry, Henry, what are you saying?' cried the sister.
'Not a word, Ave,' said Leonard. 'I had rather break stones on the
road than live where my keep is grudged, and there's not spirit enough
to get over a moment's fright.'
'It is not any one individual thing,' began Henry, in a tone of
annoyance, 'but your whole course--'
There he paused, perceiving that Leonard paid no attention to his
words, continuing quietly to replace the furniture and collect the
fossils, as it no one else were in the room, after which he carried the
basket up-stairs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account