Dalmeny; Or, the Laird's Secret (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: him! They don't think there is another such man on the face of the earth." "It is a good thing for papa that he takes such an interest in the parish work," I said. " Colston is becoming quite a town now, with all these mills; and it will never do to let Mr. Charteris have it all his own way." " No," said Marianne absently, and immediately thereafter started a new subject of conversation. CHAPTER IV. " Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright." The next day was Sunday, lovely and peaceful?most unlike the Sundays I had been used to of late. I was up betimes, and in the garden, enjoying the concentrated essence of the trees and flowers, which is never so pure or so exhilarating as in the early morning. My heart danced to tlie sunshine, almost as tangibly as Tartar, who was frisking before me, and cutting all sorts of capers, to show his gladness. " Somehow, one feels a better being out here than in the house, or in -dusty streets," I could not help thinking, as I sauntered down the little avenue, before turning into the garden. " I don't wonder at people turning out ill who have to live always in a town: I'm sure I should, if I lived in one." Nothing human seemed abroad but myself, though it was not very early. The little gardens in the village? which I could see from the bench under the walnut tree ?were still wrapped in Sabbath repose: not a sound fell on the stillness, but the song of the birds and the murmur of the little brook at the bottom of the garden. Everything around spoke of hallowed rest, and the bees, who were at work as usual, only made the contrast the more striking. I had brought a book out with me to the summer-seat; but the warm, drowsy summer air was more favourable to reverie than to study, and I had lost myself for some time in a train of ver...