Mike Fletcher by George Moore (ebook pc reader .txt) 📕

Bounty Have Permeated Every Atom Of The Universe,  Yet The Rod With Which I

Can Chastise The Wicked Is Grievous,  And The Fierceness Of Mine Anger

Against Them Terrible. With Ears That Are Sanctified From Vain-Glory And

Worldly Desires Hearken Unto The Counsels Which I,  In My Merciful

Kindness,  Have Revealed Unto You,  And With Your Inner And Outer Eyes

Contemplate The Evidences Of My Marvelous Revelation....

O My Servants! Depriaggle

Of The Bustle,  In Which There Was Genius,  And Mike Could Not But

Applaud. Suddenly He Became Aware That A Pair Of Opera-Glasses Were

Bracketed Upon Him,  And Looking Up He Saw Kitty Carew Sitting With A

Young Nobleman,  And He Saw The White Line Of Her Teeth,  For She Was

Laughing. She Waved Him To Come To Her.

"You Dear Old Sweet," She Said,  "Where Have You Been All This

Time?--Come,  Kiss Me At Once." And She Bent Her Head Towards Him.

"And Now Newtimber,  Good-Bye; I Want To Be With Mike. But You'll Not

Forget Me,  You'll Come And See Me One Of These Days?" And She Spoke

So Winningly That The Boy Hardly Perceived That He Was Dismissed.

Mike And Kitty Exchanged An Inquiring Look.

"Ah! Do You Remember," She Said,  "When I Was At The Avenue,  And You

Used To Come Behind? ... You Remember The Dear Old Marquis. When I Was

Ill He Used To Come And Read To Me. He Used To Say I Was The Only

Friend He Had. The Dear Marquis--And He Is Gone Now. I Went To His

Grave Yesterday,  And I Strewed The Tomb With Chrysanthemums,  And

Every Spring He Has The First Lilac Of My Garden."

"And Who Is Your Lover?"

"I Assure You I Haven't Got One. Harding Was The Last,  But He Is

Becoming A Bore; He Philosophizes. I Dare Say He's Very Clever,  But

People Don't Kiss Each Other Because They Are Clever. I Don't Think I

Ever Was In Love.... But Tell Me,  How Do You Think I Am Looking? Does

This Dress Suit Me? Do I Look Any Older?"

Mike Vowed He Had Never Seen Her So Charming.

"Very Well,  If You Think So,  I'll Tell You What We'll Do. As Soon As

Coburn Has Sung His Song,  We'll Go; My Brougham Is Waiting ... You'll

Come Home And Have Supper With Me."

A Remembrance Of Lily Came Over Him,  But In Quick Battle He Crushed

It Out Of Mind And Murmured,  "That Will Be Very Nice; You Know I

Always Loved You Better Than Any One."

At That Moment They Were Interrupted By Cheers And Yells. Muchross

Had Just Entered At The Head Of His Gang; His Lieutenants,  Snowdown

And Dicky The Driver,  Stood Beside Him. They Stood Under The Gallery

Bowing To The Courtesans In The Boxes,  And Singing--

     "Two Lovely Black Eyes

        Oh! What A Surprise,

      Two Lovely Black Eyes."

"I Wish We Could Avoid Those Fellows," Said Kitty; "They'll Only

Bother Me With Questions. Come,  Let's Be Off,  They'll Be Up Here In A

Moment." But They Were Intercepted By Muchross And His Friends In A

Saloon Where Sally And Battlemoor Were Drinking With Various Singers,

Waiting Their Turns.

"Where Are You Going? You Aren't Going Off Like That?" Cried

Muchross,  Catching Her By Her Sleeve.

"Yes,  I Am; I Am Going Home."

"Let Me See You Home," Whispered Dicky.

"Thanks,  Mike Is Seeing Me Home."

"You Are In Love," Cried Muchross; "I Shan't Leave You."

"You Are In Drink; I'll Leave You In Charge If You Don't Loose My

Sleeve."

"This Joker," Cried Sally,  "Will Take A Ticket If Something Wins A

Lincoln,  And He Doesn't Know Which." She Stood In The Doorway,  Her

Arms Akimbo. "People Are Very Busy Here," She Snarled,  When A Woman

Tried To Pass.

"I Beg Your Pardon," Said The Ex-Chorus Girl.

"And A Good Thing Too," Said Sally. "You Are One Of The Busy Ones,

Just Got Your Salary For Shoving,  I Suppose." There Was No Competing

With Sally's Tongue,  And The Girl Passed Without Replying.

This Queen Of Song Was Attired In A Flowery Gown Of Pale Green,  And

She Wore A Large Hat Lavishly Trimmed With Wild Flowers; She Moved

Slowly,  Conscious Of Her Importance And Fame.

But At That Moment A Man In A Check Suit Said,  Doffing His Cap,  "Very

Pleased To See You Here,  Miss Slater."

Sally Looked Him Over. "Well,  I Can't Help That."

"I Was At Your Benefit. Mr. Jackson Was There,  And He Introduced Me

To You After The Performance."

"No,  I'm Sure He Didn't."

"I Beg Your Pardon,  Miss Slater. Don't You Remember When Peggy Praed

Got On The Table And Made A Speech?"

"No,  I Don't; You Saw _Me_ On The Stage And You Paid Your Money For

That. What More Do You Want?"

"I Assure You--"

"Well,  That's All Right,  Now's Your Chance To Lend Me A Fiver."

"I'll Lend You A Fiver Or A Tenner,  If You Like,  Miss Slater."

"You Could Not Do It If You Tried,  And Now The Roast Pork's Off."

The Witticism Was Received With A Roar From Her Admirers,  And

Satisfied With Her Victory,  She Said--"And Now,  You Girls,  You Come

And Have Drinks With Me. What Will You Have,  Kitty,  What Will You

Have? Give It A Name."

Kitty Protested But Was Forced To Sit Down. The Courtesans Joined The

Comic Vocalists,  Waiting To Do Their "Turns." Lord Muchross And Lord

Snowdown Ordered Magnums,  And Soon The Hall Was Almost Deserted. A

Girl Was,  However,  Dancing Prettily On The Stage,  And Mike Stood To

Watch Her. Her Hose Were Black,  And In Limp Pink Silk Skirts She

Kicked Her Slim Legs Surprisingly To And Fro. After Each Dance She

Ran Into The Wings,  Reappearing In A Fresh Costume,  Returning At

Length In Wide Sailor's Trousers Of Blue Silk,  Her Bosom Partially

Covered In White Cambric. As The Band Played The First Notes Of The

Hornpipe,  She Withdrew A Few Hair-Pins,  And Forthwith An Abundant

Darkness Fell To Her Dancing Knees,  Almost To Her Tiny Dancing Feet,

Heavy As A Wave,  Shadowy As Sleeping Water. As Some Rich Weed That

The Warm Sea Holds And Swings,  As Some Fair Cloud Lingers In Radiant

Atmosphere,  Her Hair Floated,  Every Parted Tress An Impalpable Film

Of Gold In The Crude Sunlight Of The Ray Turned Upon Her; And When

She Danced Towards The Footlights,  The Bright Softness Of The Threads

Clung Almost Amorously About Her White Wrists--Faint Cobwebs Hanging

From White Flowers Were Not More Faint,  Fair,  And Soft; Wonderful Was

The Hair Of This Dancing Girl,  Suggesting All Fabled Enchantments,

All Visions Of Delicate Perfume And All The Poetry Of Evanescent

Colour.

She Was Followed By The Joyous Peggy Praed (Sweet Minx),  The Soul And

Voice Of The Small Back Streets. Screwing Up Her Winsome,  Comical

Face,  Drawling A Word Here,  Accentuating A Word There,  She Evoked,  In

An Illusive Moment,  The Washing Day,  The Quarrel With The

Mother-In-Law (Who Wanted To Sleep In The House),  Tea-Time,  And The

Trip To The Sea-Side With All Its Concomitant Adventures Amid Bugs

And Landladies. With An Accent,  With A Gesture,  She Recalled In A

Moment A Phase Of Life,  Creating Pictures Vivid As They Were

Transitory,  But Endowing Each With The Charm Of The Best And Most

Highly Finished Works Of The Dutch Masters. Lords,  Courtesans,  And

Fellow-Artists Crowded To Listen,  And Profiting By The Opportunity,

Kitty Touched Mike On The Shoulder With Her Fan.

"Now We Had Better Go."

"I'm Driving To-Morrow. Come Down To Brighton With Us," Said Dicky

The Driver. "Shall I Keep Places For You?"

Rising,  Kitty Laid Her Hand Upon His Mouth To Silence Him,  And

Whispered,  "Yes; We'll Come,  And Good-Night."

In The Soft Darkness Of The Brougham,  Gently Swung Together,  The

Passing Gaslights Revealing The Blueness Of The Cushions,  A Diamond

Stud Flashing Intermittently,  They Lay,  Their Souls Sunk Deep In The

Intimacy Of A Companionship Akin To That Of A Nest--They,  The

Inheritors Of The Pleasure Of The Night And The Gladness Of The

Morrow.

Dressing Was Delirium,  And Kitty Had To Adjure Mike To Say No More;

If He Did She Should Go Mad. Breakfast Had To Be Skipped,  And It Was

Only By Bribing A Cabman To Gallop To Westminster That They Caught

The Coach. Even So They Would Have Missed It Had Not Mike Sprung At

Risk Of Limb From The Hansom And Sped On The Toes Of His Patent

Leather Shoes Down The Street,  His Gray Cover Coat Flying.

"What A Toff He Is," Thought Kitty,  Full Of The Pride Of Her Love.

Bessie,  Whom Dear Laura Had Successfully Chaperoned Into Well-Kept

Estate,  Sat With Dicky On The Box; Laura Sat With Harding In The Back

Seat; Muchross And Snowdown Sat Opposite Them. The Middle Of The

Coach Was Taken Up By What Muchross Said Were A Couple Of Bar-Girls

And Their Mashers.

On Rolled The Coach Over Westminster Bridge,  Through Lambeth,  In

Picturesqueness And Power,  A Sympathetic Survival Of Aristocratic

Days. The Aristocracy And Power Sell In One World,  And Have Been Created Through The Operation Of One

Will. Blessed Is He Who Mingleth With All Men In A Spirit Of Utmost

Kindliness And Love."

Clvii: They That Have Forsaken Their Country For...

They That Have Forsaken Their Country For The Purpose Of Teaching Our

Cause--These Shall The Faithful Spirit Strengthen Through Its Power. A

Company Of Our Chosen Angels Shall Go Forth With Them,  As Bidden By Him

Who Is The Almighty,  The All-Wise. How Great The Blessedness That Awaiteth

Him That Hath Attained The Honor Of Serving The Almighty! By My Life! No

Act,  However Great,  Can Compare With It,  Except Such Deeds As Have Been

Ordained By God,  The All-Powerful,  The Most Mighty. Such A Service Is,

Indeed,  The Prince Of All Goodly Deeds,  And The Ornament Of Every Goodly

Act. Thus Hath It Been Ordained By Him Who Is The Sovereign Revealer,  The

Ancient Of Days.