Master and Maid
L. Allen Harker
- On
- the
- second
- Friday
- of
- term
- Anthony
- Bevan,
- whom
- all
- his
- world
- called
- "Bruiser
- Bevan,"
- Housemaster
- of
- "B.
- House"
- in
- Hamchester
- College,
- sat
- at
- dessert
- with
- three
- of
- his
- prefects.
- They
- had
- exhaustively
- discussed
- the
- prospects
- of
- the
- coming
- football
- season,
- had
- mutually
- exchanged
- their
- holiday
- experiences,
- and
- now,
- when
- it
- was
- really
- time
- that
- the
- boys
- should
- betake
- themselves
- to
- their
- several
- studies,
- they
- still
- lingered
- enjoying
- the
- last
- few
- pleasant
- moments
- over
- the
- walnuts
- and
- the
- very
- light
- port
- that
- their
- housemaster
- considered
- suited
- to
- their
- young
- digestions.
- The
- big
- window
- at
- the
- end
- of
- the
- room
- stood
- open
- to
- the
- soft
- September
- evening,
- and
- the
- sudden
- crunch
- of
- wheels
- upon
- the
- newly
- gravelled
- drive
- was
- plainly
- audible,
- followed
- as
- it
- was
- by
- a
- loud
- ring.
- Master
- and
- boys
- fell
- silent,
- listening;
- and
- the
- parlour-maid
- opened
- the
- dining-room
- door.
- "Please,
- sir,
- there's
- a
- young
- lady--"
- she
- began;
- when
- the
- tale
- was
- taken
- up
- by
- another
- voice,
- a
- young
- voice,
- singularly
- full
- and
- pleasant:
- "It's
- me,
- Tony,
- dear;
- and
- didn't
- you
- expect
- me?
- Dad
- promised
- faithfully
- he
- would
- telegraph,
- but
- I
- suppose
- he
- forgot,
- as
- usual;
- and
- oh,
- I'm
- so
- tired!
- We
- had
- a
- good
- crossing,
- but
- I
- couldn't
- sleep,
- it
- was
- so
- stuffy."
- Val,
- the
- Irish
- terrier,
- who
- always
- lay
- under
- his
- master's
- chair,
- rushed
- at
- the
- newcomer,
- leaping
- upon
- her
- in
- rapturous
- and
- excited
- welcome.
- "Ah!
- 'tis
- the
- dear
- dog
- is
- pleased
- to
- see
- me.
- Down,
- Val,
- down!
- You'll
- tear
- me
- to
- bits!
- Dear
- Val!
- but
- your
- welcome
- is
- too
- warm
- altogether."
- Into
- the
- circle
- of
- light
- thrown
- by
- the
- hanging
- lamp
- above
- the
- table
- came
- a
- girl--a
- remarkably
- upright,
- small,
- slim
- girl
- of
- nineteen--clad
- in
- a
- long
- light
- grey
- travelling
- coat,
- with
- a
- voluminous
- grey
- gauze
- veil
- thrown
- back
- from
- her
- hat.
- Her
- little
- face
- was
- delicately
- featured
- and pale.
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