Things were not going on any better at Hamley Hall.Nothing had occurred to change the state of dissatisfied feeling into which the squire and his eldest son had respectively fallen; and the long continuance merely of dissatisfaction is sure of itself to deepen the feeling, Roger did all in his power to bring the father and son together; but sometimes wondered if it would not have been better to leave them alone; for they were falling into the habit of respectively making him their confidant, and so defining emotions and opinions which would have had less distinctness if they had been unexpressed.There was little enough relief in the daily life at the Hall to help them all to shake off the gloom; and it even told on the health of both the squire and Osborne.The squire became thinner, his skin as well as his clothes began to hang loose about him, and the freshness of his colour turned to red streaks, till his cheeks looked like Eardiston pippins, instead of resembling 'a Katherine pear on the side that's next the sun.' Roger thought that his father sate indoors and smoked in his study more than was good for him, but it had become difficult to get him far afield; he was too much afraid of coming across some sign of the discontinued drainage works, or being irritated afresh by the sight of his depreciated timber.Osborne was wrapt up in the idea of arranging his poems for the press, and so working out his wish for independence.What with daily writing to his wife - taking his letters himself to a distant post-office, and receiving hers there - touching up his sonnets, &c., with fastidious care; and occasionally giving himself the pleasure of a visit to the Gibsons, and enjoying the society of the two pleasant girls there, he found little time for being with his father.Indeed Osborne was too self-indulgent or 'sensitive,' as he termed it, to bear well with the squire's gloomy fits, or too frequent querulousness.The consciousness of his secret, too, made Osborne uncomfortable in his father's presence.It was very well for all parties that Roger was not 'sensitive.' for, if he had been, there were times when it would have been hard to bear little spurts of domestic tyranny, by which his father strove to assert his power over both his sons.One of these occurred very soon after the night of the Hollingford charity-ball.Roger had induced his father to come out with him; and the squire had, on his son's suggestion, taken with him his long unused spud.The two had wandered far afield; perhaps the elder man had found the unwonted length of exercise too much for him, for, as he approached the house, on his return, he became what nurses call in children 'fractious,' and ready to turn on his companion for every remark he made.Roger understood the case by instinct, as it were, and bore it all with his usual sweetness of temper.They entered the house by the front door; it lay straight on their line of march.On the old cracked yellow-marble slab, there lay a card with Lord Hollingford's name on it, which Robinson, evidently on the watch for their return, hastened out of his pantry to deliver to Roger.'His lordship was very sorry not to see you, Mr Roger, and his lordship left a note for you.Mr Osborne took it, I think, when he passed through, I asked his lordship if he would like to see Mr Osborne, who was indoors, as I thought.But his lordship said he was pressed for time, and told me to make his excuses.' 'Didn't he ask for me?' growled the squire.'No, sir; I can't say as his lordship did.He would never have thought of Mr Osborne, sir, if I hadn't named him.It was Mr Roger he seemed so keen after.' 'Very odd,' said the squire.Roger said nothing, although he naturally felt some curiosity.He went into the drawing-room, not quite aware that his father was following him.Osborne sate at a table near the fire, pen in hand, looking over one of his poems, and dotting the i's , crossing the t's , and now and then pausing over the alteration of a word.'Oh, Roger!' he said, as his brother came in, 'here's been Lord Hollingford wanting to see you.' 'I know,' replied Roger.'And he's left a note for you.Robinson tried to persuade him it was for my father, so he's added a "junior" (Roger Hamley, Esq., junior) in pencil.'
同类推荐
热门推荐
识于薇时
给你们:本文是一本以一场人为事故为开端长篇现言小说,像串起分别代表,亲情,友情,爱情的散落蒙尘的珍珠。一颗颗,让等你来鉴别。“尽管后来的一切都不尽人意,但她从来没有后过悔当初选择留在母亲身边,就好像冥冥之中,那时就预感到了未来的分道扬镳。—(秦薇识)”“我是商人,利益最大化是我的天性;而该出手时就出手,是我护你的本能。—(淳于谦)”“你可以迷途知返,因为我依然爱你。—秋简//呵!你不明我,但我知自己。—秋繁”“他不爱我。—林优旋//我爱你!”“你看,六十回合,一子未伤,本来是和棋;但走之前,他故意输了一颗给我。”季勋指了指缺了一角的棋盘“阎小姐,你知道这是为什么吗?”阎娅婷怎么会懂,前面的六十回合是实力的证明,输的那一颗,是因为,他输得起。她只好在茫茫的桐花下,自顾的笑了一笑。如果,伪装是靠近你,爱你的方式,那这项技能早已成了我的日常。你看,他们总是这样,知道归知道,执着归执着。我知道,你对这个世界有很多不满。而我们也让你很失望,我也知道你其实真的很累。但我,还是希望...修仙不是为活过道侣吗
修仙最怕什么?人没了,道侣还在。宗门老祖渡劫时,李天寿助其成仙,被硬塞了个八百岁的老婆。入赘修真界第一天,老婆闭百年关。偶然获得功法,却要付出寿元修炼。从此李天寿修仙,只为活到老婆出关。ps本文又叫《修真界第一赘婿》《老婆闭关的日子与弟子们的平淡生活》《寿元终结者励志修仙传》