Search -
At her mercy, by the author of 'Lost sir Massingberd'.
At her mercy by the author of 'Lost sir Massingberd' Author:James Payn Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A DUEL BETWEEN PRINCIPLES. HALL I go, or shall I stop ?" said the doctor to Evy, as she stood with her hand upon her fluttering heart, listeni... more »ng for the front door to be opened to his lordship's ring. " I suppose there is no doubt what he is come about, and if you feel nervous, my dear, you shall retain your medical attendant." It was kindly meant of the little doctor, for in his eyes Lord Dirleton was one of the greatest men upon the earth's surface. He had submitted to be sworn at by him—to be sure the gout is an excuse for anything—on more than one occasion when he had been " called in " professionally at the hall, and had "put up with" various other indignities, as he acknowledged them to himself to be. The "nobody minds what Lord Dirleton says," which was the salve that many persons used under the like circumstances, did not prevent him from feeling galled. He felt less of a man in his lordship's company than in that of any fellow-creature, and would therefore have willingly avoided it on the present occasion. But if, as it flashed across him, Lord Dirleton was coming to speak face to face with Evy, and give her a piece of his mind, he was prepared to stand by her, at the sacrifice of never being invited to meet Sir Toby Ruffles in consultation (over his lordship's toe) again. This determination was chivalrous but unnecessary. He did the great autocrat of Dunwich wrongin supposing him capable of such an outrage. The fact was that his lordship would not have been the social tyrant he was, but for the volunteer slaves that he met with among the neighbouring population. His relation to his Dunwich neighbours had always been, thanks to themselves, that of a stick to a basket of eggs, with two exceptions ; the rector was not one bit afraid of him; and in Mr. ...« less