[John Halifax Gentleman by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik]@TWC D-Link bookJohn Halifax Gentleman CHAPTER V 23/24
Such a woman! Shakspeare himself might lean out of Elysium to watch her.
You will join us ?" John made a silent, dolorous negative; as he had done once or twice before, when the actor urged us to accompany him to Coltham for a few hours only--we might be back by midnight, easily. "What do you think, Phineas ?" said John, when we stood in the high-road, waiting for the coach; "I have money--and--we have so little pleasure--we would send word to your father.
Do you think it would be wrong ?" I could not say; and to this minute, viewing the question nakedly in a strict and moral sense, I cannot say either whether or no it was an absolute crime; therefore, being accustomed to read my wrong or right in "David's" eyes, I remained perfectly passive. We waited by the hedge-side for several minutes--Mr.Charles ceased his urging, half in dudgeon, save that he was too pleasant a man really to take offence at anything.
His conversation was chiefly directed to me. John took no part therein, but strolled about plucking at the hedge. When the stage appeared down the winding of the road I was utterly ignorant of what he meant us to do, or if he had any definite purpose at all. It came--the coachman was hailed.
Mr.Charles shook hands with us and mounted--paying his own fare and that of Yates with their handful of charity-pennies, which caused a few minutes' delay in counting, and a great deal of good-humoured joking, as good-humouredly borne. Meanwhile, John put his two hands on my shoulders, and looked hard into my face--his was slightly flushed and excited, I thought. "Phineas, are you tired ?" "Not at all." "Do you feel strong enough to go to Coltham? Would it do you no harm? Would you LIKE to go ?" To all these hurried questions I answered with as hurried an affirmative.
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