William The Conqueror Read Online Free PDF

said to come here,’ protested William, ‘it’s her birthday party. All these is her fr’en’s. It’s a party. An’ you’ve all gone
’n spoilt it int’ruptin’.’
    He was finally convinced of the absence of Miss Flowerdew and of the mistake. But he was still pained and aggrieved.
    ‘Ladies an’ gen’l’men,’ he said to his audience with great dignity. ‘This waxwork show what you’ve seen the beginnin’ of is goin’ on in the
ole barn across the field.’ He had a sudden inspiration. ‘The other part’s jolly good – better than the bit what you’ve seen, an’ is free an’ open to all
on payment of one halfpenny.’
    Then with great dignity he led his troupe across the field to the barn where Miss Flowerdew sat in solitary patience.
    The Parish Room settled down with an audible gasp and sigh. Mrs Brown, seeing that all was over, came out of her hysterics. General Moult ceased to shout and settled down to a fierce and
sustained muttering. The Committee of the New Era Society came down from the platform to their places. The Vicar, pale and tense, took the chair. Professor Smith smoothed back his hair, took a deep
draught of water, and began:
    ‘Ladies and gentlemen, the earliest mention of Egypt in the Bible is under the name of Mizraim, which word, probably, is a plural form, testifying to the fact that Lower and Upper Egypt
were regarded as distinct. The chief objects of cultivation in Egypt are millet, wheat, barley, dhurra, maize, peas, beans, lentils, clover, rice, sugar, etc. The philologist, D. I. Taylor, is of
the opinion that the Egyptian alphabet, although incomplete, is one of the oldest known. Even at the time of the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties the hieroglyphic writing was a venerable system of
vast antiquity—’
    The hall was very dimly lighted, but Professor Smith began to have a vague suspicion that his audience was mysteriously thinning.
    It was. Shadowy forms were creeping from the room and making their way in a furtive procession across the field to the old barn . . .

CHAPTER 3
THE LEOPARD HUNTER
    M R Falkner had been staying at the Browns’ house for a very long time.
    He had written to Mr Brown to remind him of the fact that they had been at school together and to ask if he might pay him a short visit. Mr Falkner was like that. Also his idea of a short visit
was not Mr Brown’s.
    Not that Mr Falkner needed much entertaining. He entertained himself. He talked. William had never met anyone who talked quite as much as his father’s guest. Mr Falkner talked perpetually,
and the subject of all his conversation was Mr Falkner. Mr Falkner was a never ending source of interest to Mr Falkner.
    He talked about his exalted social position, his many and varied talents, his marvellous exploits, his ingenuity, his aristocratic friends.
    ‘Oh, yes, the Duke and I are the greatest of pals. Always have been. The way the man pesters me to go and stay with him! But all my friends are the same. There’s the Honourable Percy
Wakefield – you’ve heard of him, of course? – I ran into him again last week. He simply wouldn’t take “No”. I managed to put him off at last. Quite a nuisance,
these people. Simply won’t let one alone.’
    Politeness prevented Mr Brown from remarking that he did not grudge Mr Falkner to the Duke or to the Honourable Percy. Instead, Mr Brown sat, silent and oppressed, trying to read the evening
paper which lay carelessly on the arm of his chair and to look as if he weren’t doing so.
    And Mr Falkner talked on.
    Mr Falkner was small and rather stout, with a round face, a small blighted moustache, a glassy stare and a very squeaky voice.
    During term time Mr Falkner did not trouble William much. William merely watched him curiously in his brief respites from school.
    William practised diligently and acquired a very good imitation of Mr Falkner’s squeaky voice and glassy stare. He practised them alone every evening in his bedroom.
    At meals he