Brothers: The True History of a Fight Against Odds

Example in this ebook. Mark Samphire clutched tightly his mother's hand as the big room began to fill with people. Some he knew and these he feared: because they might speak to him and then he would stammer and choke and make a piteous spectacle of himself. He wished that he were his brother Archibald standing on the other side of his mother Archie the pink-skinned and golden-haired a tremendous fellow clad in a new sailor suit and tolerably self-possessed but pinker than usual because a lady in lavender silk had hugged him and called him a darling. Nobody called Mark a darling except his mother and that only when they were alone. The fat butler kept shouting out more names. Mrs. Corrance and Jim arrived. Mark hoped they would sit near him. Jim was his own age—a ripe seven—and a sworn friend. Lord Randolph talked to Admiral Kirtling the funny man who made everybody laugh. Ah! Jim had pushed his way through the crowd. In a minute the two boys were whispering together nineteen to the dozen for Mark seldom stammered when he talked to Jim.An older person than Mark would have seen on the faces of the assembled company an air of expectation. Big folding-doors now shut divided the drawing-room from the library. Upon these the eyes of the women lingered for behind them stood mystery and—so it was reported—beauty! Meantime they chattered talking for the most part about the house newly built and well named The Whim. Miss Selina Lamb one of the Lambs from Cranberry-Orcas who had so many relations that she was never out of half-mourning gave information to the Dean of Westchester.I assure you Mr. Dean that it is a fact. The dear Admiral got into a fly at Westchester—he carried nothing but a white umbrella and told the man Thomas Pinnick who has driven me a score of times to take him to 'some salubrious locality.' Thomas quite properly drove him here across the downs. The west wind was blowing strongly and the dear man thought he was in the chops—it is chops isn't it?—yes in the chops of the Channel. He gave Thomas Pinnick a sovereign and bought this hill within the week. Now he has built this remarkable house.The Dean smiled admitting that the house might be described as remarkable. Bedrooms covered the ground floor; above these the sitting-rooms commanded a fine view of the pastoral county of Slowshire; at the top of the house were the kitchen and servants' offices!I understand said Mr. Dean that food descends like manna from above and that the common odours of leek and cabbage ascend and are smelled of none save perhaps the skylarks.You always put things so poetically murmured Miss Lamb. Yes you are right. The still-room is just above the library.Where it should be my dear Miss Lamb. I hope the Admiral's housekeeper wears list slippers.Miss Lamb sensible that the Dean was making a joke which she could not quite understand smiled showing large even teeth and asked if Mr. Dean had ever met the young lady in whose honour they had gathered together. Mr. Dean had not met the young lady but he had known intimately her mother. Miss Lamb blushed.She was charming murmured the Dean absently the most fascinating creature.The spinster sniffed her surprise reflecting that her companion was a radical. A true blue the bishop for instance would not have mentioned the mother at all. She felt it her duty to bleat a feeble protest.She behaved so shockingly Mr. Dean.True true but she was very young Miss Lamb. Poor pretty creature! And now—dead!. To be continue in this ebook............................................................................................................................