DOI Artikel:
Traill, Henry D.: The papers of Basil Fillimer
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21806#0031
By H. D. Traill 27
“ Oh,” I said, “have you ever by chance mentioned that to
her?” ’
“ Eh ? What ? ” answered Basil, absently, for, as his manner
was, he was drifting away on some Underground stream of his own
thoughts. cc Mentioned it ? I don’t recollect. I daresay I have.
Probably I must have done. Why do you ask ? ”
“Well,” said I, “ because if she knew you could not answer the
question that might account for her not asking it.”
But he was already lost in reverie, and I did not feel justified in
rousing him from it for no worthier purpose than that of hinting
suspicion of the disinterestedness of a blood relation.
In due time—or at least in what the survivors considered due
time, though I don’t suppose the poor old gentleman so regarded
it—Basil’s uncle died, and the nephew found himself the heir to a
snug little fortune of about ^900 a year. As soon as he was in
possession of it he wrote to Eleanor, acquainting her with the
change in his circumstances, and renewing his declaration of love,
accompanied this time with a proposal of immediate marriage. I
happened to look in upon him at his chambers on the evening of
the day on which the letter had been despatched, and he told me
what he had done.
“ Ah ! ” said I, “ now, then, we shall see which of us is right.
But no,” I added, on a moment’s reflection, “ after all, it won’t
prove anything ; for I suppose we both agree that she is likely to
accept you now, and I can’t deny that she can do so with perfect
propriety.”
Basil looked at me as from a great height, a Gulliver conversing
with a Lilliputian.
“ Dear old Jack,” he said, after a few moments of obviously
amused silence, “ you are really most interesting. What makes
you think she will say Yes ? ”
« What ! ”
“ Oh,” I said, “have you ever by chance mentioned that to
her?” ’
“ Eh ? What ? ” answered Basil, absently, for, as his manner
was, he was drifting away on some Underground stream of his own
thoughts. cc Mentioned it ? I don’t recollect. I daresay I have.
Probably I must have done. Why do you ask ? ”
“Well,” said I, “ because if she knew you could not answer the
question that might account for her not asking it.”
But he was already lost in reverie, and I did not feel justified in
rousing him from it for no worthier purpose than that of hinting
suspicion of the disinterestedness of a blood relation.
In due time—or at least in what the survivors considered due
time, though I don’t suppose the poor old gentleman so regarded
it—Basil’s uncle died, and the nephew found himself the heir to a
snug little fortune of about ^900 a year. As soon as he was in
possession of it he wrote to Eleanor, acquainting her with the
change in his circumstances, and renewing his declaration of love,
accompanied this time with a proposal of immediate marriage. I
happened to look in upon him at his chambers on the evening of
the day on which the letter had been despatched, and he told me
what he had done.
“ Ah ! ” said I, “ now, then, we shall see which of us is right.
But no,” I added, on a moment’s reflection, “ after all, it won’t
prove anything ; for I suppose we both agree that she is likely to
accept you now, and I can’t deny that she can do so with perfect
propriety.”
Basil looked at me as from a great height, a Gulliver conversing
with a Lilliputian.
“ Dear old Jack,” he said, after a few moments of obviously
amused silence, “ you are really most interesting. What makes
you think she will say Yes ? ”
« What ! ”