Will O’ the Wisp Read Online Free PDF

I find a house that I really love.”
    â€œLet me build you one,” said David.
    â€œWould it be all bathrooms? Aunt Editha seemed quite worried about the number of bathrooms you put into houses. She said that Grandmamma said it was just a modern craze, and in her young days nobody ever had bathrooms at all. She said Grandmamma thought such a lot of washing was most unwholesome, and that everybody would feel much warmer if they didn’t wash so much.”
    â€œI’ve made three new bathrooms at Ford,” said David. “They’re topping. Come and see them. When will you come? I told Betty I’d find out. And she says, would you like a party, or just us?”
    Eleanor did not answer him at once.
    â€œIt seems funny to think of Ford belonging to you.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI don’t know—it does. Your father was so strict; we all had to do exactly as we were told, and nobody was allowed to be a moment late for meals. Oh, it just seems odd.”
    â€œI’ve got used to it.”
    â€œBetty keeps house for you?”
    â€œMore or less.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œIt means she’s rotten at it. But she will do it.”
    â€œPoor Betty! She told me Dick had just gone to school. I thought she was going to cry. She must miss him dreadfully.”
    â€œShe spoils him dreadfully. It’s a jolly good thing for Master Dick that he’s a boy and bound to go to school.”
    â€œWhat’s he like?”
    â€œNot a bad little ruffian. Quite good stuff—a stocky little chap—wants licking.”
    Eleanor put out her hand and took his cup.
    â€œDo you still take three lumps of sugar? I put them in without thinking the first time. Help yourself to cake, and give me a bit.” She gave him back his cup. “David, what’s happened about Betty’s husband?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œHow do you mean—nothing?”
    â€œWell, just that.”
    â€œAunt Editha said—”
    David laughed.
    â€œGrandmamma and the Aunts probably know a lot more about it than Betty and I do. The plain fact is that Francis went off into the blue just after I got back to England five years ago. As far as I know, nobody’s heard of him since. It leaves Betty rather high and dry; but, honestly, she was well rid of him at any price. If ever there was an out-and-out rotter—and how on earth he got round my father I can’t imagine. Poor old Betty had an absolutely poisonous time of it, and she took it very hard. It’s bad luck, that sort of thing. I mean with any number of good fellows about, it’s hard lines when a girl gets let down by an out-and-out rotter.”
    â€œYes,” said Eleanor. Her lips felt a little stiff, but she wanted to say something quickly.
    And then all of a sudden the dark colour ran up into David’s face. To Eleanor’s horror, the tears rushed scalding to her eyes. She clenched her hands and leaned back, struggling for composure. After all that she had been through, to break down at a chance word!
    Timothy nuzzled softly against her ear; his orange eyes peeped at David between the curls of Eleanor’s hair.
    She got up quickly and went over to the hearth. As she stooped and pushed a log down on to the red embers, the two burning tears fell.
    David’s voice sounded from behind her:
    â€œEleanor—my dear—I didn’t mean—”
    â€œNo, of course you didn’t.”
    He got up.
    â€œLook here, we can be friends—can’t we? We always were friends. We wanted to be something more, and it didn’t come off. And one way and another we’ve both had a pretty thin time of it. We needn’t talk about it; but it’s not the sort of thing you forget. I’d like to start square on that basis. If we try and ignore it, we shall just feel uncomfortable. You see what I mean?”
    Eleanor turned. Her eyes were still wet, but it didn’t