The Dancer in Yellow (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. 1896. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXXII. MISS eOPLESTONE IS NOT SURPRISED. "Oh, indeed Well, I can't say that I am surprised," observed Miss Coplestone. "It is a subject for congratulation, no doubt; but coming, as it does, so soon after events which one can't quite forget, and upon which it was impossible to congratulate anybody, I really don't feel equal to raising the shout of triumph that you seem to expect of me." Rather more than a year had elapsed since the news of Lady Coplestone's sudden death had brought about a partial reconciliation between Miss Coplestone and her nephew. Almost immediately afterwards he had set forth on one of those journeys to the far East and the far West which are common enough in these days of abolished distances, and now, having circumnavigated the globe, he had called upon her in her little London house to report his return and communicate a piece of intelligence which had elicited the above somewhat ungracious reply from her. "I really think you must be rather surprised," said Frank, in a tone of gentle remonstrance. "Surprised at what? At your good fortune, or at your having lost so little time? I assure you I was quite prepared for both. I have noticed that you--unlike certain other people whom I could name--invariably fall upon your feet, and as for precipitation--well, I scarcely expected you to beat about the bush very long after your return. A year's absence satisfies the demand for decency, and I presume that you and she understood one another pretty well before you left the country. So there would have been no particular object in further postponement." "You are quite mistaken," Frank declared. "When I went away I had no more idea of ever asking Mrs. Trafford to be my wife than she had of taking me for her husband. Much less, indeed--f...