The Blue Lagoon: A Romance

ough a green-baize covered door went d

, pointing to a half open door, "and the servant

k, was busy in the scullery with her sleeves tucked up, and under the table was seated Susie Gallagher, a small and grubby hanger-on engaged in the ta

he dresser, where also stood a half-bottle of Guinness' stout and a tumbler; an old setter bitch lay before the fire and a jackdaw in a wicker cage set up

bout," apologised the cook. "He's better than a watch-dog. Hold you

d Phyl, "and cut his tongue with a six

potato peelings, cabbage stalks and so forth, lay the carcass of a boiled fowl. It was the fowl they had dined off the night before and it

his sinful sight. Th

doing there

ed the cook, who had followed them to the door. "All th

lly explored, of whose existence, indeed, he was not particularly aware. This Irish expedition was to show him a good many things in life and in himself of

poor people about

es,

ut he checked himself, remembering that in the eyes o

ere Larry, the groom, was washing the carriage that

ourse, it's wasteful, but they do give things to the poor. Lots of poor people come here, every day nearly, but they don't care for scraps-you see, it is insulting to give a poor person scraps, just as tho

he

aid Phyl. "We've done i

she was galled by his attitude of criticism. Guardian or no guardian, he was a stranger; relation or no relation, he was a stranger, and what right

anding in the yard chewing a st

ot a relation of Rafferty's. Philip Berknowles had put up with a lot from Rafferty simply because Rafferty was an invaluable person in his way when not crossed. Everything went smoothly when the factotum was not interfered with. Cross him and there were immediat

"I want to show this gentleman

oxes where four or five horses were stabled, and then leading the way th

capable, one might fancy, of supplying the wan

rently a prosperous and going little concern, with its fowls and chickens penned or loose,

er all this?"

," replied

re the

our pard

an. You sell these

farm, sor, it's a g

by this snub, turned and loo

growing pigs to look at; peacocks, maybe, but not pigs.

ut about by the manner of the other in whom he began to divine someth

red to her; even if it had, it would not have softened the fact that a strange hand was

use, she ran as though hounds were after her, reached the house, locked herself in her bedroom, and flung herself on the bed i

bbin; the servants, the place itself and all the things and people about it were part and parcel

was young and full of energy and business ability; he was full of conscientiousness and the determination to protect his ward's interests; he had scented a ro

is accounts and make explanations. Mrs. Driscol

's nest into which he was