"
"Poor old Jasper!" I said; "I'm really afraid I should." Then a
wonderful thing happened; for as I reached out my hand to her, she
caught it suddenly in hers, and before I knew had pressed her lips
upon it - and so was gone.
VII
THE BLASTED OAK
I had quarrelled with Lisbeth; had quarrelled beyond all hope of
redemption and forgiveness, desperately, irrevocably, and it had
all come about through a handkerchief - Mr. Selwyn's handkerchief.
At a casual glance this may appear all very absurd, not to say
petty; but then I have frequently noticed that insignificant things
very often serve for the foundation of great; and incidentally quite
a surprising number of lives have been ruined by a handkerchief.
The circumstances were briefly these: In the first place, I had
received the following letter from the Duchess, which had perturbed
me not a little:
MY DEAR DICK: I hear that that Agatha Warburton creature has written
threatening to cut off our dear Lisbeth with the proverbial shilling
unless she complies with her wish and marries Mr. Selwyn within the
year.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166