登陆注册
15492300000038

第38章 CHAPTER VII: DICK MAKES HIMSELF USEFUL(2)

Thereupon he plunged in his hands, and they paddled together. It being the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a nice one.

"Really, I hardly know which are my own hands and which are yours, they have got so mixed up together," she said, withdrawing her own very suddenly.

"It doesn't matter at all," said Dick, "at least as far as I am concerned."

"There! no towel! Whoever thinks of a towel till the hands are wet?"

"Nobody."

"'Nobody.' How very dull it is when people are so friendly! Come here, Mr. Dewy. Now do you think you could lift the lid of that box with your elbow, and then, with something or other, take out a towel you will find under the clean clothes? Be SURE don't touch any of them with your wet hands, for the things at the top are all Starched and Ironed."

Dick managed, by the aid of a knife and fork, to extract a towel from under a muslin dress without wetting the latter; and for a moment he ventured to assume a tone of criticism.

"I fear for that dress," he said, as they wiped their hands together.

"What?" said Miss Day, looking into the box at the dress alluded to.

"O, I know what you mean--that the vicar will never let me wear muslin?"

"Yes."

"Well, I know it is condemned by all orders in the church as flaunting, and unfit for common wear for girls who've their living to get; hut we'll see."

"In the interest of the church, I hope you don't speak seriously."

"Yes, I do; but we'll see." There was a comely determination on her lip, very pleasant to a beholder who was neither bishop, priest, nor deacon. "I think I can manage any vicar's views about me if he's under forty."

Dick rather wished she had never thought of managing vicars.

"I certainly shall be glad to get some of your delicious tea," he said in rather a free way, yet modestly, as became one in a position between that of visitor and inmate, and looking wistfully at his lonely saucer.

"So shall I. Now is there anything else we want, Mr Dewy?"

"I really think there's nothing else, Miss Day."

She prepared to sit down, looking musingly out of the window at Smart's enjoyment of the rich grass. "Nobody seems to care about me," she murmured, with large lost eyes fixed upon the sky beyond Smart.

"Perhaps Mr. Shiner does," said Dick, in the tone of a slightly injured man.

"Yes, I forgot--he does, I know." Dick precipitately regretted that he had suggested Shiner, since it had produced such a miserable result as this.

"I'll warrant you'll care for somebody very much indeed another day, won't you, Mr. Dewy?" she continued, looking very feelingly into the mathematical centre of his eyes.

"Ah, I'll warrant I shall," said Dick, feelingly too, and looking back into her dark pupils, whereupon they were turned aside.

"I meant," she went on, preventing him from speaking just as he was going to narrate a forcible story about his feelings; "I meant that nobody comes to see if I have returned--not even the vicar."

"If you want to see him, I'll call at the vicarage directly we have had some tea."

"No, no! Don't let him come down here, whatever you do, whilst I am in such a state of disarrangement. Parsons look so miserable and awkward when one's house is in a muddle; walking about, and making impossible suggestions in quaint academic phrases till your flesh creeps and you wish them dead. Do you take sugar?"

Mr. Maybold was at this instant seen coming up the path.

"There! That's he coming! How I wish you were not here I--that is, how awkward--dear, dear!" she exclaimed, with a quick ascent of blood to her face, and irritated with Dick rather than the vicar, as it seemed.

"Pray don't be alarmed on my account, Miss Day--good-afternoon!" said Dick in a huff, putting on his hat, and leaving the room hastily by the back-door.

The horse was caught and put in, and on mounting the shafts to start he saw through the window the vicar, standing upon some books piled in a chair, and driving a nail into the wall; Fancy, with a demure glance, holding the canary-cage up to him, as if she had never in her life thought of anything but vicars and canaries.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 沉罪世界

    沉罪世界

    末世危机,杀戮纵横,在危难中苦苦挣扎的人,该如何救赎,看荒野尸体遍地,低下头,双手被鲜血染红,这世界究竟要埋葬多少人,而我又埋葬了多少人。新书求支持
  • 绝地血蔷薇之天堂有雨

    绝地血蔷薇之天堂有雨

    草根变巨富父亲的抛弃,滋生了她的仇恨。由平凡少女化作复仇天使的韩紫在母亲离世后走向父亲的新家,却被没有血缘的哥哥劫持,成为利益纷争的筹码,又被他看了个精光……是厌恶,是仇恨,还是少女的懵懂?其实,这并不重要。浴火重生后的她更为一段纯白的恋情刻骨铭心,究竟怎样才能抹去心底漆黑的痕迹?而黑的诱惑与白的惬意之间,少女韩紫究竟将走向何方?
  • 我家的三位公主们

    我家的三位公主们

    吴易只是一个世上最普通的小混混,一个扔进人群里都找不出来的平凡人,却因为收养了三个小公主而改变平凡的命运。三位小公主各自有着自己的天赋,有神功盖世的小暴力女,也有智商超群的小科学家,甚至有逆天改命的命数师!与此同时,世界各股势力围绕着对三姐妹的争夺也越发激烈!吴易也在利用三姐妹的天赋和各种大人物斗智斗勇!(主推萝莉!!!)
  • 我是班透明

    我是班透明

    在市中心的某个学校,那个青春的年纪,那个充满故事的初一六班,神秘的小芷和老成的时森,又会发生怎样的故事呢?第一次见面,绝没想到后来这么喜欢你。这部作品记录了,那个不懂爱的年龄,最纯真,最美好的爱情。
  • 腹黑皇帝:呆萌小皇后

    腹黑皇帝:呆萌小皇后

    “小女子五行缺嫁,公子能否仗义相娶。”穆鱼扑闪着大眼睛看着君卿。“那正好,朕五行缺娶,不如我俩凑成一对。”夜千诀扛起穆鱼往房间走。某人:“救命啊(╥﹏╥)”
  • 暗紫蔷薇冷傲拽公主

    暗紫蔷薇冷傲拽公主

    我们的相遇或许是一场意外,让我们彼此牵挂,唯美的紫蔷薇,一场梦的开始……青春,一场盛世的繁华,在这个年纪里,其实我们都明白,谁也不可能是谁的唯一……
  • 流颜妃语:帝君魔王不要钱

    流颜妃语:帝君魔王不要钱

    现代世界著名的第一奇才——楼婳宸,接受了国际秘密任务,前往大洲总部编写一组能够颠覆世界的代码。却不料这代码竟然是一个穿越的系统,一不小心一代天才就被亲爱的祖国坑到了古代!What?战王的独女不受宠?没爹没娘没兄妹?皇帝皇后看不惯,要灭了她?嗯……系统君!让他们看看,什么叫做天大地大系统最大!可是……不是说是古典架空吗?这两个男人哪儿来的?一个魔王?一个帝君?Oh~no!!!!系统君,咱们谈谈!
  • 中国食俗

    中国食俗

    食俗就是饮食的风俗,又称食风、食规,是指有关食物在筛选、组配、加工、销售与食用过程中所形成的风俗习惯。中国的食俗出现很早,而且涉及社会生活的各个方面,不仅过年过节有食俗、访亲拜友有食俗,纪念历史人物也有食俗,而且,中国地域广阔,是一个多民族的国家,人们信奉各种宗教,自然就形成了宗教信仰食俗。《中国文化知识读本:中国食俗》介绍了除夕饺子、元宵节元宵、立春春饼、端午粽子、中秋月饼、腊八粥、少数民族食俗、地方风情食俗、宗教信仰食俗等中国传统饮食文化。
  • 巨商书架:世界商业巨子推荐的读书计划

    巨商书架:世界商业巨子推荐的读书计划

    阅读是一种享受,写作这样一本书的过程更是一种享受。在享受之余,我们心中也充满了感恩。因为在写作过程中,我们不仅得到同行的帮助,还借鉴了其他人智慧的精华。相信你们劳动的价值不会磨灭,因为它给读者朋友们带来了宝贵的精神财富。
  • 星座秘密

    星座秘密

    吸血鬼美男冰与非人类少女九丸的星座情缘,在这场异族之恋中,冰与九丸之间究竟会发生什么有趣的事呢?