The Blue Lagoon: A Romance

of the library reading a book. Kilgobbin Park lay outside with the rooks cawing in the trees, miles of park

k panelling of the room, the book backs, and the long-nosed face of Sir Nicholas Berknowles "att

hair was of the right red, worn in a tail-she was only fifteen-so long that she could bite the end with ease

now, unable to read any more by the light from the window, she came to the fire, curled herself on

shaped head! It was not the face and head of a Berknowles as you could easily have per

Mascarenes, red hair and a wild spirit that brooked no contradiction and knew no fear. Phyl had inherited something of this restless and daring spirit. She had run away from the Rottingdean Academy for the Daughters of the Nobility and Gentry wh

ountry life to bother much about the small affair of his daughter's future and education. He accepted her rejection of his plans, wrote a letter of apology to the Rottingdean Academy, a

Arranakilty, a man profoundly versed in the habits of rodents and birds, Larry the groom

ainst restraint. Not at all. She was a most lovable and clinging person, when she could get hold of anything worth clinging to, with a mellifluous Irish voice at once soothing and distracting, a voic

beat Legrand, when, laying the book down beside her on the hearthrug, s

g, hearty man who had gone to America only eight weeks ago and who would never r

to be killed like that, or what she had done to deserve such misery. The Reverend Peter Graham of Arranakilty could explain nothing about the matter to her understanding. She nearly die

at the old fellow was saying; books began to appeal to her again and the old life to run anew in a crippled sort of way. Then other things happened.

and that the will was being brought over from the States by

essey. "He said it was by your father's request he was coming, but it's a long jou

one and an antagonism to Mr. Pinckney

this man was coming to make some alteration in her way of life. She did not want any change, she wanted to go on living just as she

me down that morning from Dublin to receive M

the act of picking up her book when the

l to sit easy and not disturb herself. Then, as he held a big foot to the warmth he talked down at the g

id I to him, 'and what's that head of yours made of?' The stoves are all o

e a bit careless, but he never does forget to feed the animals. He's got the chickens to look after, too, and the

t with them again. Her voice became tinged with melancholy and Hennessey changed the sub

with a kind heart who would have come to financi

he, taking out his watch and looking at it

like, do you th

unts they are sharp business men, but I daresay he is all right. The thing that gets me is his coming over. Americans don't go thousands of

of ours," said Phyl. "Father

er's side," s

all those people over there and wondered what they were like and how they lived-my

es are all gone long ago. They used to have sugar pla

ther's people-Oh, if one could only see back, see all the people th

lers in Athlone and he was content to let them lie without

s silence, "suppose Father has left Mr. Pin

nnessey; "but what's been putt

set me on, I suppose, but I dreamed last night Mr. Pinckney came and he was an American with a beard like Uncle Sam in Punch last week, and he said Fath

. "A man can't leave his daughter away from him, though I'm half

venue. Then the crash of wheels on gravel came from outside and h

aid the easy-sp