Search -
The Writings of Charles Dickens (17); With Critical and Bibliographical Introductions and Notes by Edwin Percy Whipple and Others
The Writings of Charles Dickens With Critical and Bibliographical Introductions and Notes by Edwin Percy Whipple and Others - 17 Author:Charles Dickens Volume: 17 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1894 Original Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin and Company Subjects: Literary Criticism / General Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typ... more »os or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER XXXIV A TURN OF THE SCREW " Now, what," says Mr. George, " may this be ? Is it blank cartridge or ball ? A flash in the pan or a shot ? " An open letter is the subject of the trooper's speculations, and it seems to perplex him mightily. He looks at it at arm's length, brings it close to him, holds it in his right hand, holds it in his left hand, reads it with his head on this side, with his head on that side, contracts his eyebrows, elevates them -- still cannot satisfy himself. He smoothes it out upon the table with his heavy palm, and, thoughtfully walking up and down the gallery, makes a halt before it every now and then, to come upon it with a fresh eye. Even that won't do. " Is it," Mr. George muses, " blank cartridge or ball ? " Phil Squod, with the aid of a brush and paintpot, is employed in the distance whitening the targets ; softly whistling, in quick- march time, and in drum-and-fife manner, that he must and he will go back again to the girl he left behind him. " Phil ! " The trooper beckons as he calls him. Phil approaches in his usual way; sidling off at first as if he were going anywhere else, and then bearing down upon his commander like a bayonet charge. Certain splashes of white show in high relief upon his dirty face, and he scrapes his one eyebrow with the handle of his brush. "Attention, Phil! Listen to this." " Steady, commander, steady." " ' Sir. Allow me to remind you (though there is no legal necessi...« less