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What Will He Do With It, a novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
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Book 2 - Chapter 10 |
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_ BOOK II CHAPTER X In which chapter the history quietly moves on to the next. Thus nearly a week had gone, and Lionel began to feel perplexed as to the duration of his visit. Should he be the first to suggest departure? Mr. Darrell rescued him from that embarrassment. On the seventh day, Lionel met his host in a lane near the house, returning from his habitual ride. The boy walked home by the side of the horseman, patting the steed, admiring its shape, and praising the beauty of another saddle-horse, smaller and slighter, which he had seen in the paddock exercised by a groom. "Do you ever ride that chestnut? I think it even handsomer than this." "Half our preferences are due to the vanity they flatter. Few can ride this horse; any one, perhaps, that." "There speaks the Dare-all!" said Lionel, laughing. The host did not look displeased. "Where no difficulty, there no pleasure," said he in his curt laconic diction. "I was in Spain two years ago. I had not an English horse there, so I bought that Andalusian jennet. What has served him at need, no _preux chevalier_ would leave to the chance of ill-usage. So the jennet came with me to England. You have not been much accustomed to ride, I suppose?" "Not much; but my dear mother thought I ought to learn. She pinched for a whole year to have me taught at a riding-school during one school vacation." "Your mother's relations are, I believe, well off. Do they suffer her to pinch?" "I do not know that she has relations living; she never speaks of them." "Indeed!" This was the first question on home matters that Darrell had ever directly addressed to Lionel. He there dropped the subject, and said, after a short pause, "I was not aware that you are a horseman, or I would have asked you to accompany me; will you do so to-morrow, and mount the jennet?" "Oh, thank you; I should like it so much." Darrell turned abruptly away from the bright, grateful eyes. "I am only sorry," he added, looking aside, "that our excursions can be but few. On Friday next I shall submit to you a proposition; if you accept it, we shall part on Saturday,--liking each other, I hope: speaking for myself, the experiment has not failed; and on yours?" "On mine!--oh, Mr. Darrell, if I dared but tell you what recollections of yourself the experiment will bequeath to me!" "Do not tell me, if they imply a compliment," answered Darrell, with the low silvery laugh which so melodiously expressed indifference and repelled affection. He entered the stable-yard, dismounted; and on returning to Lionel, the sound of the flute stole forth, as if from the eaves of the gabled roof. "Could the pipe of Horace's Faunus be sweeter than that flute?" said Darrell,
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