BooksBarbecue
Back Weighed and Wanting Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. CONTENTS
  4. Foreword to The Cullen Collection
  5. Introduction to Weighed and Wanting
  6. 1. A Bad Weather Holiday
  7. 2. An Eventful Walk
  8. 3. Hester Alone
  9. 4. The Aquarium
  10. 5. Amy Amber
  11. 6. Cornelius and Vavasor
  12. 7. Hester and Amy
  13. 8. A Beginning in Hester
  14. 9. A Private Exhibition
  15. 10. Vavasor and Hester
  16. 11. The Concert Room
  17. 12. Sudden Change
  18. 13. Yrndale
  19. 14. Down the Hill
  20. 15. Out of the Frying Pan
  21. 16. Waiting a Purpose
  22. 17. Major H. G. Marvel
  23. 18. The Major and Vavasor
  24. 19. A Walk Along the River
  25. 20. An Unpleasant Interview
  26. 21. Corney’s Holiday
  27. 22. A Distinguished Guest
  28. 23. Courtship in Earnest
  29. 24. Calamity
  30. 25. In London
  31. 26. A Talk with the Major
  32. 27. A Scuffle
  33. 28. Gartley and the Major
  34. 29. Further Down
  35. 30. Differences
  36. 31. Deep Calleth Unto Deep
  37. 32. Deliverance
  38. 33. On the Way Up
  39. 34. The Attic Room
  40. 35. Amy and Corney
  41. 36. Miss Vavasor
  42. 37. Mr. Christopher
  43. 38. An Arrangement
  44. 39. Things at Yrndale
  45. 40. The Return
  46. 41. A Sad Beginning
  47. 42. Mother and Son
  48. 43. Miss Dasomma and Amy
  49. 44. The Sick Room
  50. 45. Vengeance Is Mine
  51. 46. Father and Daughter-in-law
  52. 47. The Message
  53. 48. A Family
  54. 49. A Birthday Gift
  55. ENDNOTES

As she spoke, the major had entered the room but she did not see him. Afterward he made himself known and asked Cornelius to go with him for a walk. Hoping he had only just come in, but a little anxious, Cornelius agreed. As they walked, he behaved better than usual—until he had persuaded himself that the major had heard nothing. He then relapsed into his former manner—one of condescension and thin offense. But all the time the major was studying him, and saw into him deeper than his mother or Hester—making out a certain furtive anxiety in the youth’s eyes when he was silent, an unrest as of trouble he would not show. “The rascal has been doing something wrong,” he thought to himself. “He is afraid of being found out.”

The weeks went on. Cornelius’s month ran out, but he seemed restless for it to be over, making no response to the lamentations of the children that Christmas was so near and their new home such a grand one for keeping it in, and Corney not to be with them! He did not show them much kindness, but a little went a long way with them, and they loved him.

“Mind you are well before I come again, Markie,” he said as he left. “You’re not a pleasant sight moping about the house!” Tears came to the child’s eyes. He was not moping. He only looked a little sad, even when he was quite happy.

“Never mind, Markie dear,” said Hester to him later. “He meant no harm. It’s only that you are not very strong—not up to a game of romps as you used to be. You will be merry again one day.”

“I am merry enough,” replied Mark, “only somehow the merry goes all about inside me and doesn’t want to come out—like the little bird, you know, that wouldn’t go out of its cage though I left the door open for it.”

He was indeed happy enough—more than happy when the major was there. They would be together most days all day long. And the amount of stories Mark, with all his contemplativeness, could swallow was amazing.

But the family party was soon to be broken up—not by subtraction but by addition. The presence of the major had done nothing to spoil the homeness of home, but that very homeness was now for a time to be disturbed.