登陆注册
15697300000001

第1章 THE NEW-COMERS.(1)

"If you please, mum," said the voice of a domestic from somewhere round the angle of the door, "number three is moving in.

Two little old ladies, who were sitting at either side of a table, sprang to their feet with ejaculations of interest, and rushed to the window of the sitting-room.

"Take care, Monica dear," said one, shrouding herself in the lace curtain; "don't let them see us.

"No, no, Bertha. We must not give them reason to say that their neighbors are inquisitive. But I think that we are safe if we stand like this."The open window looked out upon a sloping lawn, well trimmed and pleasant, with fuzzy rosebushes and a star-shaped bed of sweet-william. It was bounded by a low wooden fence, which screened it off from a broad, modern, new metaled road. At the other side of this road were three large detached deep-bodied villas with peaky eaves and small wooden balconies, each standing in its own little square of grass and of flowers. All three were equally new, but numbers one and two were curtained and sedate, with a human, sociable look to them; while number three, with yawning door and unkempt garden, had apparently only just received its furniture and made itself ready for its occupants. A four-wheeler had driven up to the gate, and it was at this that the old ladies, peeping out bird-like from behind their curtains, directed an eager and questioning gaze.

The cabman had descended, and the passengers within were handing out the articles which they desired him to carry up to the house. He stood red-faced and blinking, with his crooked arms outstretched, while a male hand, protruding from the window, kept piling up upon him a series of articles the sight of which filled the curious old ladies with bewilderment.

"My goodness me!" cried Monica, the smaller, the drier, and the more wizened of the pair. "What do you call that, Bertha? It looks to me like four batter puddings.""Those are what young men box each other with," said Bertha, with a conscious air of superior worldly knowledge.

"And those?"

Two great bottle-shaped pieces of yellow shining wood had been heaped upon the cabman.

"Oh, I don't know what those are," confessed Bertha. Indian clubs had never before obtruded themselves upon her peaceful and very feminine existence.

These mysterious articles were followed, however, by others which were more within their, range of comprehension--by a pair of dumb-bells, a purple cricket-bag, a set of golf clubs, and a tennis racket. Finally, when the cabman, all top-heavy and bristling, had staggered off up the garden path, there emerged in a very leisurely way from the cab a big, powerfully built young man, with a bull pup under one arm and a pink sporting paper in his hand. The paper he crammed into the pocket of his light yellow dust-coat, and extended his hand as if to assist some one else from the vehicle. To the surprise of the two old ladies, however, the only thing which his open palm received was a violent slap, and a tall lady bounded unassisted out of the cab. With a regal wave she motioned the young man towards the door, and then with one hand upon her hip she stood in a careless, lounging attitude by the gate, kicking her toe against the wall and listlessly awaiting the return of the driver.

同类推荐
  • 冥寥子游

    冥寥子游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 寿世青编

    寿世青编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 次商於感旧寄卢中丞

    次商於感旧寄卢中丞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 灵宝净明天枢都司法院须知法文

    灵宝净明天枢都司法院须知法文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 亦玉堂稿

    亦玉堂稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 寻找腹黑殿下

    寻找腹黑殿下

    西钥香染自然是怕,这假冒公主和亲的罪名她是万万担不起的。可念及同皇甫极不共戴天的血海深仇,她便再无畏惧;更何况西钥香染身为羯疆精英细作,背负的还有西钥元羽临行重托:“寻得前任细作同皇甫极所生之子,取其信任,辅其登位,以求羯疆九方边界长治久安。”偏偏,九方皇宫隐秘颇多危机重重,比她所想更为复杂,西钥香染若稍有不慎走错一步,便会丢了小命。
  • 黑章

    黑章

    主角和许多小说里写的一样穿越了。但他穿越第一天便被人揭穿了穿越的身份,随后变故发生。他发现原来他的穿越并不简单,背后有人在暗中操控一切。是继续做顺风顺水的主角还是舍弃主角气运书写属于自己的人生。不一样的主角、不一样的剧情。欢迎来到《黑章》
  • EXO之二货千金
  • 养母的馈赠

    养母的馈赠

    每天都被那位年轻貌美的养母留了一堆烂摊子是怎样的体验?作为一名普通高中生,安于的人生在他17岁那年彻底改变。——情报贩子?雇佣兵?军火商?还带超能力的?喵喵喵?如果能实现一个愿望,他会祈祷世界和平;如果再加上一个,他会说:能不能放他回去高考!他爱学习!
  • 穿越女尊王朝我的夫君and们

    穿越女尊王朝我的夫君and们

    一群历史系的大三同学在一次前往成都考察的科研活动突遇地震,其中3男1女共同掉进了一个异度空间,一个架空的女尊王朝,展开了一段匪夷所思的异时空之旅,一个架空的王朝-----白翎王朝。。。
  • 私营公司管人智慧

    私营公司管人智慧

    不论你是一位阅历丰富的老板,还是正准备创业的青年,如果你想让自己的公司在激烈的竞争中获胜,那就必须把管人的铁则吃透嚼碎,并达到运用自如的程度。《私人公司管人智慧》立足中国私营公司的实际情况,有针对性地就一些问题进行了实战分析;同时也展望国外,引进国外公司管理的先进理念,并以生动的例子说明理论。使人读后能学,学后能用。读过此书后,相信私营公司老板们能够大幅度强化自己的管人之道,使自己的公司进入一个在市场竞争中“跑步向前”的状态。
  • 神级狂医

    神级狂医

    实习医生扬尘在医院备受欺负,这一天,无意中点进了一个视频网站,发现里面居然是未来的治疗直播……掌握了未来医术的扬尘,开始逆袭之路!
  • 莫叹明月笑春风

    莫叹明月笑春风

    “我并不是喜欢纠缠的人,如今将着玉佩还你……便是将我对你的最后一丝情意给断了,我会与你退亲,日后你为君我为臣,你我之间再无任何私情。”良久,他薄唇轻启,应了声“如此甚好。”她笑了笑,可眼泪却落了下来,她转过身,向殿外走去,走到门前,她顿了顿,哀戚道“皇上的眼睛甚是好看,里面没有风没有月,没有星星,也没有我……”
  • 修罗战尊

    修罗战尊

    步天王朝王子步尘,遭奸人迫害,鬼血加身,修为尽失,饱受凌辱。三年之后,机缘巧合,得不灭修罗诀,掌修罗鬼火,誓要杀尽一切仇敌。且看步尘自小小王朝而出,炼鬼血,化修罗,杀遍九天十地,成就不灭修罗!
  • 永远梦想

    永远梦想

    这是段真实的经历或许很多朋友都遇到过但我希望能通过我的小说告诉所有人一个人的价值观已经对爱情的执著可能文笔不好大家谅解下