Bachelor's Buttons; The Candid Confessions of a Shy Bachelor (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXV THE SUDDEN DEPARTURE OF MISS POLLYT I Wish 'Melia-Hann and Pansy had not said what they did about Mrs. Gellet, for it was most cruel and unjust, and made me seem to see her in a different light. I happened to come across her standing at her gate talking to the young man from the bank. It was the first time I had seen her without a veil and a pink-lined parasol, and with the sun on her hair. I could not help noticing that her pretty hair had blacky sort of bits at the roots, and that some of them had a grey appearance. I know, of course, that it is the lovely gold that is real, but I do wish she did not blacken the roots. And then her pink cheeks are quite a different sort of pink from the lovely pink of Sophonisba's, and not nearly so nice without hat and veil and parasol. It was a relief to me to meet her a little later with hat and veil and parasol, and to find she was as beautiful as ever, in spite of the wicked things said by 'Melia-Hann and Pansy. I once asked Pansy why women wore veils--like most men, I hate them. She had said, " To hide the complexions they haven't got " Pansy never wears one, she says she hopes not to need to for ages yet. I am rather upset about Miss Pollyt's sudden departure, the whole thing took me so very much by surprise. The last time I saw her I was talking to Sophonisba--or more correctly, listening to her, and looking at her very hard, and thinking how lovely she was and how out of reach, and yet how dreadfully I loved her, when the squire and niece came suddenly upon us. I do not think I should have seen them if Sophonisba hadn't bowed to them. Then, though Sophonisba was there, and I never want anybody else when I have Sophonisba, I greeted them warmly enough. Pollyt had evidently been...