Urith: A Tale of DartmoorBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
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Urith: A Tale of Dartmoor
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Dartmoor (England) -- Fiction
And now, as Anthony rode over the down, past many old tumuli covering
the dead of prehistoric times, he had no eyes for the beauty of the
scene that opened before him, eyes for no antiquities that he passed,
ears for none of the fresh and pleasant voices of early spring that
filled the air; he was occupied with his own thoughts, grumbling and
muttering over the matters of dissatisfaction that had risen up and
crossed him. He had apologised for the outrage committed on Richard
Malvine's grave, but he could not excuse himself of having occasioned a
shock to Mistress Malvine. He was angry with his father for the
slighting manner in which he spoke of the Malvines, for having forbidden
Bessie going to them, for having endeavoured to force him into an
engagement with Julian. He would please himself, murmured Anthony to
himself; in such a matter as this he would brook no dictation. His
liking for Urith was too young to have assumed any shape and force, and
he had no thoughts of its leading any further. Such as it was, it had
been fed and stimulated by opposition--the interference on the moor, the
opposition of his father, the difficulties put in his way by his own
act--but then Anthony was just the man to be settled in a course by
encountering opposition therein.
He crossed the river, reached Cudliptown, and saw the surgeon's horse
hitched up outside the tavern. The doctor had been to Willsworthy, and
had halted at the Hare and Hounds for refreshment on his way home.
Anthony at once dismounted. He would go in there and ask tidings of the
health of the widow.
He fastened up his horse and entered the tavern, in his usual
swaggering, defiant manner, with his hat on, and a frown on his brow. He
found in the inn, not the surgeon only, but James Cudlip, and to his
surprise Anthony Crymes.
The relationship in which Anthony Cleverdon stood to Fox was intimate
but not cordial. They had known each other and had associated together
since they were children; they had been at school together; they hunted,
and rabbited, and hawked together. Anthony was not one who could endure
to be alone, and as he had no other companion of his age and quality
with whom to associate, he took up with Fox rather than be solitary. But
when together they were ever bickering. Fox's bitter tongue made Anthony
start, and with his slow wit he was incapable of other retort than
threat. Moreover, from every one else young Anthony received flattery;
only from Fox did he get gibes. He bore in his heart a simmering grudge
against him that never boiled up into open quarrel. Fox took a malicious
delight in tormenting his comrade, whom he both envied and disliked.
That Anthony Crymes had paid his addresses to Urith, and had been
refused, was unknown to Anthony Cleverdon, to whom Crymes confided no
secrets of his heart or ambition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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