One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
Lakelands! Merely that? Much more:—if Nataly’s coldness to
CHAPTER X
the place would but allow him to form an estimate of how
much. At the same time, being in the grasp of his present
SKEPSEY IN MOTION
disappointment, he perceived a meanness in the result, that
was astonishing and afflicting. He had not ever previously felt THE BEARER of his master’s midday letters from London shot
imagination starving at the vision of success. Victor had yet to beyond Nataly as soon as seen, with an apparent snap of his
learn, that the man with a material object in aim, is the man body in passing. He steamed to the end of the terrace and
of his object; and the nearer to his mark, often the farther is he delivered the packet, returning at the same rate of speed, to
from a sober self; he is more the arrow of his bow than bow to do proper homage to the lady he so much respected. He had
his arrow. This we pay for scheming: and success is costly; we left the railway-station on foot instead of taking a fly, because
of a calculation that he would save three minutes; which
find we have pledged the better half of ourselves to clutch it;
not to be redeemed with the whole handful of our prize! He he had not lost for having to come through the raincloud.
was, however, learning after his leaping fashion. Nataly’s defective
sympathy made him look at things through the feel-
have accelerated his course: and his hat dripped, and his coat
‘Perhaps the contrary,’ Skepsey said: it might be judged to
ings she depressed. A shadow of his missed Idea on London shone, and he soaped his hands, cheerful as an ouzel-cock
Bridge seemed to cross him from the close flapping of a wing when the sun is out again.
within reach. He could say only, that it would, if caught, have ‘Many cracked crowns lately, in the Manly Art?’ Colney
been an answer to the thought disturbing him.
inquired of him. And Skepsey answered with precision of
Nataly drew Colney Durance with her eyes to step beside statement: ‘Crowns, no, sir; the nose, it may happen; but it
her, on the descent to the terrace. Little Skepsey hove in sight, cannot be said to be the rule.’
coming swift as the point of an outrigger over the flood. ‘You are of opinion, that the practice of Scientific Pugi-
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