Dimplethorpe, by the Author of 'St. Olave's'. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880. Excerpt: ... 131 CHAPTER XI. A ND Phil did not have to wait very long----either, for, only a week after that call, a week during which he had been very busy with his portrait at Meadowfield Lodge, there came, one Friday morning, a note from the Manor House, telling him that Miss Ferguson would be in Dimplethorpe the following day, but telling him nothing more than that. Evidently Miss Burnaby was not prepared to fulfil her part of the agreement until he had fulfilled his. And he was minded to do it, too. He thought he had quite made up his mind, a couple of months before, what his intentions really were with regard to Audrey. She was to be a friend--nothing more. What he had heard about her lately was rather shaking those intentions. Perhaps, after all, he might not be making a very disastrous mistake if he did allow her to be the sharer of whatever honour was destined for him in the future. Perhaps some of these days she might wear evening dress of a sort, and move, both through his drawing-rooms and those of other people, with a dignity which would not disgrace them. Miss Burnaby had very good taste, and Miss Burnaby said Audrey Ferguson was a perfect lady. Only with this, another side of the subject was revealing itself to him. Perhaps what he wished was not the only thing which had to be considered. Miss Ferguson might be in a position to make her own choice. She might not even care to accept the friendship which he had so generously apportioned to her, unless he took a little more pains to make himself worthy of it. If he did not appreciate her, other people did. Phil was one of those men, and they are-often very pleasant ones, who find a difficulty in making up their minds about any course of conduct until they learn that another has decided what they are only i...