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Title: Red Spider, Volume 2 (of 2) Author: Sabine Baring-Gould Release Date: March 16, 2017 [EBook #54375] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RED SPIDER, VOLUME 2 (OF 2)
THE AUTHOR OF ’JOHN HERRING’ ’MEHALAH’ &c.
XIX. A DEAD DOG XX. A FIVE-POUND NOTE XXI. REFUSED XXII. THE HAYSEL XXIII. A BRAWL XXIV. THE HAND OF GLORY XXV. THE HARE HUNT XXVI. BITTER MEDICINE XXVII. AFTER SWEETNESS XXVIII. A FIRST STEP XXIX. A BLOW XXX. YES! XXXI. THE NEW MISTRESS XXXII. THE CHINA DOG XXXIII. AMONG THE GORSE XXXIV. THE VISITATION XXXV. A WARNING XXXVI. A SETTLEMENT XXXVII. A BOWL OF BROTH XXXVIII. THE LOOK-OUT STONE
The second night of watch proved unavailing, for the best of good reasons, that the watch was not kept. Oliver Luxmore sat up, but, finding the night chilly outside the house, attempted to keep watch with a pipe of tobacco and a jug and glass of cider posset within. The consequence was that he went to sleep over the fire. During that same night another of the lambs was worried. Mischief had also been done at Swaddledown, as the family heard during the day. There a ewe had been killed, overrun, thrown into a grip (dyke by hedge) whence it could not rise, and where it had been torn, and had died.
’We must not ask your father to watch again,’ said Hillary, with the corners of his mouth twitching. ’We believe what he says now when he tells us he is very shortsighted. I will come to-night and the night after, if need be, till I earn my guinea. The rascal has been here twice and has escaped. He shall not succeed the third time. I will take a nap by day and be lively as an owl at night.’
The maids at Chimsworthy joked the lad about his visits to the cottage; he did not go there after the dog, but after Kate. A guinea! What was a guinea to the heir of Chimsworthy? A young man cares more for girls’ hearts than for money. He did not contradict them, he turned aside their banter with banter. But the lively conversation of Kate had lost its charm for him. He exchanged jests with her, but took less pleasure than heretofore in doing so. That night and the next he spent at his post watching for the lamb-killer. Honor gave him her company. He was surprised at himself for becoming serious, still more that the conversation and society of the grave Honor should afford him so much pleasure. In her company everything assumed a new aspect, was seen through coloured glass.