I had dined an hour ago; the beef had been excellent - it always is
at the Three Jolly Anglers - and the ale beyond all criticism; also
my pipe seemed to have an added flavour.
Yet despite all this I did not enjoy that supreme content - that
philosophical calm which such beef and such ale surely warranted.
But then, who ever heard of Love and Philosophy going together?
Away over the uplands a round, harvest moon was beginning to rise,
flecking the shadowy waters with patches of silver, and, borne to
my ears upon the warm, still air, came the throb of distant violins.
This served only to deepen my melancholy, reminding me that somebody
or other was giving a ball to-night; and Lisbeth was there, and Mr.
Selwyn was there, of course, and I - I was here - alone with the
brass-bound blunderbuss, the ancient fishing-rods and the antique
andirons on the hearth; with none to talk to save the moon, and the
jasmine that had crept in at the open casement. And noting the
splendour of the night, I experienced towards Lisbeth a feeling of
pained surprise, that she should prefer the heat and garish glitter
of a ball-room to walking beneath such a moon with me.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92