登陆注册
34564400000033

第33章

Lazy Laurence Laurie went to Nice intending to stay a week, and remained a month. He was tired of wandering about alone, and Amy's familiar presence seemed to give a homelike charm to the foreign scenes in which she bore a part. He rather missed the `petting' he used to receive, and enjoyed a taste of it again, for no attentions, however flattering, from strangers, were half so pleasant as the sisterly adoration of the girls at home. Amy never would pet him like the others, but she was very glad to see him now, and quite clung to him, feeling that he was the representative of the dear family for whom she longed more than she would confess. They naturally took comfort in each other's society and were much together, riding, walking, dancing, or dawdling, for at Nice no one can be very industrious during the gay season. But, while apparently amusing themselves in the most careless fashion, they were half-consciously ****** discoveries and forming opinions about each other. Amy rose daily in the estimation of her friend, but he sank in hers, and each felt the truth before a word was spoken. Amy tried to please, and succeeded, for she was grateful for the many pleasures he gave her, and repaid him with the little services to which womanly women know how to lend an indescribable charm. Laurie made no effort of any kind, but just let himself drift along as comfortably as possible, trying to forget, and feeling that all women owed him a kind word because one had been cold to him. It cost him no effort to be generous, and he would have given Amy all the trinkets in Nice if she would have taken them, but at the same time he felt that he could not change the opinion she was forming of him, and he rather dreaded the keen blue eyes that seemed to watch him with such half-sorrowful, half-scornful surprise.

"All the rest have gone to Monaco for the day. I preferred to stay at home and write letters. They are done now, and I am going to Valrosa to sketch, will you come?' said Amy, as she joined Laurie one lovely day when he lounged in as usual about noon.

"Well, yes, but isn't it rather warm for such a long walk?" he answered slowly, for the shaded salon looked inviting after the glare without.

"I'm going to have the little carriage, and Baptiste can drive, so you'll have nothing to do but hold your umbrella, and keep your gloves nice," returned Amy, with a sarcastic glance at the immaculate kids, which were a weak point with Laurie.

"Then I'll go with pleasure." And he put out his hand for her sketchbook. But she tucked it under her arm with a sharp...

"Don't trouble yourself. It's no exertion to me, but you don't look equal to it."Laurie lifted his eyebrows and followed at a leisurely pace as she ran downstairs, but when they got into the carriage he took the reins himself, and left little Baptiste nothing to do but fold his arms and fall asleep on his perch.

The two never quarreled. Amy was too well-bred, and just now Laurie was too lazy, so in a minute he peeped under her hat-brim with an inquiring air. She answered him with a smile, and they went on together in the most amicable manner.

It was a lovely drive, along winding roads rich in the picturesque scenes that delight beauty-loving eyes. Here an ancient monastery, whence the solemn chanting of the monks came down to them. There a bare-legged shepherd, in wooden shoes, pointed hat, and rough jacket over one shoulder, sat piping on a stone while his goats skipped among the rocks or lay at his feet. Meek, mouse-colored donkeys, laden with panniers of freshly cut grass passed by, with a pretty girl in a capaline sitting between the green piles, or an old woman spinning with a distaff as she went. Brown, soft-eyed children ran out from the quaint stone hovels to offer nosegays, or bunches of oranges still on the bough. Gnarled olive trees covered the hills with their dusky foliage, fruit hung golden in the orchard, and great scarlet anemones fringed the roadside, while beyond green slopes and craggy heights, the Maritime Alps rose sharp and white against the blue Italian sky.

Valrosa well deserved its name, for in that climate of perpetual summer roses blossomed everywhere. They overhung the archway, thrust themselves between the bars of the great gate with a sweet welcome to passers-by, and lined the avenue, winding through lemon trees and feathery palms up to the villa on the hill. Every shadowy nook, where seats invited one to stop and rest, was a mass of bloom, every cool grotto had its marble nymph smiling from a veil of flowers and every fountain reflected crimson, white, or pale pink roses, leaning down to smile at their own beauty. Roses covered the walls of the house, draped the cornices, climbed the pillars, and ran riot over the balustrade of the wide terrace, whence one looked down on the sunny Mediterranean, and the white-walled city on its shore.

"This is a regular honeymoon paradise, isn't it? Did you ever see such roses?" asked Amy, pausing on the terrace to enjoy the view, and a luxurious whiff of perfume that came wandering by.

"No, nor felt such thorns," returned Laurie, with his thumb in his mouth, after a vain attempt to capture a solitary scarlet flower that grew just beyond his reach.

同类推荐
  • 野古集

    野古集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 四肢门

    四肢门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • HIRAM THE YOUNG FARMER

    HIRAM THE YOUNG FARMER

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 磬山牧亭朴夫拙禅师语录

    磬山牧亭朴夫拙禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 革除遺事

    革除遺事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 重生之巨星传奇

    重生之巨星传奇

    十八线歌手李方东重新来过,本以为自己会凭借前世的记忆,混的风生水起,可是现实是他想的太简单了!
  • 反派今天掉马了吗

    反派今天掉马了吗

    牧云意有个红娘系统,最喜欢发布“牵手”任务,然后任务就变成了——大型翻车现场?“宿主,你知道你是来干什么的吗?”“知道啊~”“说来听听?”“不就是把嫁不出去的男女主嫁出去吗?”“……”嫁……不出去?“不过还好,男女主挺好嫁出去的。”“……”?“要是嫁不出去,那就废了吧。”“!!!”小系统都惊呆了⊙?⊙!“咱正常点好吗?”“……哦,行吧。”没办法,男/女配组的搞事精太多了,咱红娘组只有给点力了。
  • 盛宠之长歌天下

    盛宠之长歌天下

    长歌本为一朝女相,替皇上安稳前朝,才华过人、足智多谋。却不想功高盖主,竟受亲人陷害惨死于金殿之上。一朝穿越,竟成了邻国国相府的嫡女——温长歌,温长歌身为国相府的嫡女,却过着连下人都不如的日子,日日食不果腹,受人欺压。她本想安稳度日,不再理会权力之争。却不想,伪善二娘得寸进尺,逼死了她的贴身侍女,还妄想让她落发成尼永不会京。她终不再忍,她要让那欺她,辱她,骗她,害她的人都知道,什么叫做真正的阴险狡诈,卑鄙残忍!小心谨慎,步步为营,毁了那嫡出二妹的脸,挑断那蛮横三妹的手筋,撕烂那伪善二娘的面具,冷漠便宜爹也不将自己放在眼里?好,那便一起收拾了,将他们狠狠踩在自己脚下!不过……这一切怎么都被那只狡诈的老狐狸发现了!?什么?逼我嫁给你?虽然你是一只阴险狡诈,冷酷无情,血腥残酷的老狐狸,不过本小姐看你的脸倒是长得不赖,便嫁了吧!看着某只老狐狸神秘的笑容,等等!我怎么闻到了一股阴谋的味道?欢迎阅读,记得收藏!巨甜宠文,全文1v1,男强女也强,彼此为了扑到对方的事业而不断努力奋斗!
  • 二次元之大圣降临

    二次元之大圣降临

    悟空睁开眼时,沙包大的拳头飞来,砸到他脸上“橡胶橡胶,手枪!”“咦,猴子?是吃了动物果实吗?”“乔巴,快来翻译!”在他救下了艾斯时,眼前一黑,又来到了火影世界。“通灵术!”“嗯?”猿飞日斩张张嘴,“猿魔,你的样子怎么变了?”宇智波鼬,“......卧槽你这是什么瞳术?!”悟空,“......火眼金睛。”
  • 豪门萌宠:帅帅少爷爱上我

    豪门萌宠:帅帅少爷爱上我

    在一个夜黑风高的晚上,一只大灰狼钻近了小白兔的房间,小白兔睡得很熟,并不知道有大灰狼进入她的房间。于是乎。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 苍荒道

    苍荒道

    何经年,一名充满传奇色彩的少年,一名被所有人遗忘和淘汰的少年,他的归来,到底会引发什么滔天巨浪?当日月西沉,英雄迟暮,红颜衰老,朗朗乾坤间,又有什么是可以隐藏的呢?宿命是什么?注定又是什么……一切,都待我们的主角来一页页开启,大家拭目以待吧。不知什么原因,一颗五颜六色的星云从黑洞中甩出,最后坠落在一处名为苍州大陆的地方,成就了一个传奇强者的崛起之路。
  • 星海之帝王传说

    星海之帝王传说

    新书都市之仙人之路上传,敬请关注。本书因为十万字还没有达到签约标准,所以抱歉了。
  • 绝世战王:王妃倾天下

    绝世战王:王妃倾天下

    “白府嫡出二小姐将受尽所有人的宠爱。”太祖皇的一句话便决定了白府嫡出二小姐的命运,只因太祖皇后出生白府为嫡出二小姐。可惜千年也等不到嫡系有二女,所以注定白清倾的一生将受尽万千宠爱。“倾儿,做我的太阳好不好?”“倾儿,你要什么我都给你,只要你不离开我。”“倾儿,千万不要离开我,你不在我身边我不知道我会做出什么事情。”“倾儿,在我的羽翼下你可以肆无忌惮。”
  • 地藏仙王

    地藏仙王

    一枪一珠一世界,一人一犬走天涯,爱恨纠葛一剑斩,打破红尘封仙王。楚云飞,因缘巧合,获得无上神功,加以无畏的勇气,绝对的力量,坚韧的毅力,超然的智慧,坚贞的情义,追求一段荡气回肠的永恒爱情,演绎一个普渡众生的无量功德。