The Argosy — page 291: what you’re looking at

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Anne. 275 you please to’ sit down, sir,” hastily-taking the books off a chair. “ Papa is out, but I think he will not be long.” “‘ Are you satisfied with the house ?” he asked. “Quite so, sir; and I do not think it wants anything done to it at all. I hope you will not suppose we shall keep it in this state,” she added, rather anxiously. ‘‘ When things are being unpacked, the rooms are sure to look untidy.” Sir Robert smiled. ‘ You seem very notable, Miss Lewis.” “‘Oh, I do everything,” she answered. “There is nobody else.” He had not taken the chair, but went out, saying he should probably meet Dr. Lewis—leaving a message for him, about the house, in case he did not. “ He.is your great and grand man of the neighbourhood, is he not, Johnny?” said Anne, as she knelt down on the carpet again. “Oh, he is grand enough.” “Then don’t you think he is, considering that fact, very pleasant and affable? I’m sure he is as simple and free in manners and speech as we are.” “ Most grand men—if they are truly great—are that. Your upstarts assume no end of airs.” “T know who will never assume airs, Johnny. He has none in him,” “Who's that ?” “ Yourself.” It made me laugh. I had nothing to assume them for. It was either that afternoon or the following one that Dr. Lewis came up to the Squire and old Coney as they were talking together in the road. He told them that he could not possibly stay in the house ; he should be laid up if he did; he must go away until the smell from the paint was gone. That he was looking ill, both saw ; and they believed he did not complain without cause. The question was, where could he go? Mr. Coney hospitably offered him house-room ; but the doctor, while thanking him, said the smell might last a long while, and he should prefer to be independent. He had been thinking of going with Anne to Worcester for a time. Did they know of lodgings there ? “ Better go to'an hotel,” said the Squire. ‘“ No trouble at an hotel.” ‘‘ But hotels are not always comfortable. I cannot feel at home in them,” argued the poor doctor. ‘‘ And they cost too much besides.” “You might chance to hit upon lodgings where you’d not be any more comfortable, Lewis. And they'd be very dull for you.” “‘There’s Lake’s boarding-house,” put in old Coney, while the doctor was looking blank and helpless. “A boarding-house ? Aye, that might do, if it’s not a noisy one.” ‘It’s not noisy at all,” cried the Squire. ‘It’s uncommonly well comicbooks.com y