The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories

counter-man in the little Gloucestershire town from which the correspondent wrote; it astonished him to see this mature and most respectable person. They talked on. Mr. Wigmore

olely of tuitional matters, began to take a turn more personal. Was he taking too much of M

rasped his beard and laughed. 'Well, it is strange, and I'd like to explain it to you. To begin with, I'll tell you what my age is; I'm seven-and-fo

, stroked his hard-felt hat, Top

fruiterer alone; it sounds more respectable, but the honest truth is, I do sell vegetable

e more honourable? I heartily wish

rtable, that's all. I gave my girls a good schooling, and what with that and their good looks, they've both made what may be called better marriages than m

phasis. Again Topham murmure

gentleman farmer. And they've both gone to live in another par

the brows and hardening of the mouth changed the expression o

Topham, 'that your daughters desir

instead of that he went to another a long way off. My son-in-law the gentleman farmer was to have taken a farm close by us; he altered his mi

by this disclosure of his domestic affairs; but he could not utter his thoughts. Topham tried the commonplaces naturally suggested b

ure time-the kind of book that does one good. Just now I'm reading The Christian Year. And since my daughters married-well, as I tell you

thought which made his brain warm. 'You would like to retire from busi

eful, but even yet the bu

round, 'that it sounds a strange thing to say, but-well,

no doubt whateve

f I gave up the shop and worked very hard at my studies-with help, of co

a peony; his

too, becoming excited, 'to beco

daughters and my sons-in-law would never feel ashamed of me-so that their children won't be

'speak more plainly. What do you wish to become? With compet

. Starkey? Then, sir'-he leaned forward, blushing

r three minutes he was mute with astonishm

ny one to enter the Church whom I thought unfitted for the sacred office. But in your case, my good sir, there can be no such misgiving. I entertain no doubt whatever

the idea had first come to him, how he had brooded upon it, how he had worked at elementary les

I don't look so high as that, Mr. Starkey. But a curate is a clergyman, and for my daughters

ith joy. Meanwhile Topham seemed to have

f I had time to work seriously

his eyes fall: 'You are, of c

y bu

licately approached the next thought he had in mind, Topham-cunning fellow-at one moment facilitating, at another retarding