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قراءة كتاب Dariel: A Romance of Surrey
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
Root of Evil
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| "Between whose Jagged Mullions flowed the Silvery Light"; | Frontispiece |
| "'Allow me one Moment,' I said"; | Facing page 70 |
| "Sprawling in the Yellow Stubble"; | 90 |
| "Why, it must at least be a Princess"; | 146 |
| "Her sweet, kind Face as white as a Shroud"; | 168 |
| "She turned away her Face"; | 218 |
| "At the Door she turned, with a proud and calm Farewell to me"; | 238 |
| "What little there is, is entirely a genuine Article"; | 274 |
| "Sûr Imar received us with a Loving Smile"; | 300 |
| "A Woman of Great Substance rushed up and caught her"; | 308 |
| "'Rot!' I replied, with less Elegance than Terseness"; | 340 |
| "'I tell you what,' he said, turning round and looking at me with Authority"; | 378 |
| "Gazed at the Captain till he scarce knew where he was"; | 416 |
| "'Yes, I see,' he answered softly"; | 504 |
DARIEL: A ROMANCE OF SURREY
CHAPTER I A NIGHTINGALE
If any man came to me, and said, "You are going to tell your tale, good sir, without knowing how to handle it," I should look at him first with some surprise, and anger at his interference, yet in a very few minutes, unless he wanted to argue about it, probably he would have my confession, and a prayer for his assistance. For every one knows how to do a thing, much better than the one who does it.
In spite of all that, I will declare in a truthful manner unabashed, whatever I know concerning the strange affairs which have befallen me; and perhaps if you care to look into them, you will admit that even now, when the world supposes itself to be in a state of proud civilization, there are things to be found near its centre of perfection which are not quite up to the standard of the Lord.
Towards the middle of the month of May, in a year which I never shall forget, I happened to be riding home from Guildford in the county of Surrey, after a long but vain attempt to do a little business for my father. For we were not, as we used to be, people of wealth and large estates, and such as the world looks up to; but sadly reduced, and crippled, and hard-pushed to make a living. And the burden of this task had fallen most heavily upon me, because I was the only son at home, and my father's mind was much too large to be cramped with petty troubles. So that when he had been deprived of nine-tenths of his property, and could not procure any tenants for the rest, it became my duty to work the best of the land that still remained, and make both ends meet, if possible.
To a young man this was no great hardship unless he were spoiled for country life by ambition, or sloth, or luxury; and it seemed to me at first a welcome change, to be recalled from Oxford and from Lincoln's Inn, and set to watch the earth and sky, instead of ink and paper. And although there were storms and swamps of loss and disaster, to cross continually, I was always at the point of getting on, if only there came just a little turn of luck. But that which seemed to baffle