'
Griff had toiled that night till he was as stiff as a rheumatic old
man when he came down only just in time for luncheon. Mrs. Fordyce
did not appear at all. She was a fragile creature, and quite
knocked up by the agitations of the night. The gentlemen had
visited the desolate rectory, and found that though the fine ancient
kitchen had escaped, the pleasant living rooms had been injured by
the water, and the place could hardly be made habitable before the
spring. They proposed to take a house in Bath, whence Frank Fordyce
could go and come for Sunday duty and general superintendence, but
my parents were urgent that they should not leave us until after
Christmas, and they consented. Their larger possessions were to be
stored in the outhouses, their lesser in our house, notably in the
inner mullion chamber, which would thus be so blocked that there
would be no question of sleeping in it.
Old Mr. Fordyce had ascertained that he might acquit himself of
smashing Celestina Mary, for no remains appeared in the carriage;
but a miserable trunk was discovered in the ruins, which he
identified--though surely no one else save the disconsolate parent
could have done so. Poor little Anne's private possessions had
suffered most severely of all, for her whole nursery establishment
had vanished. Her surviving dolls were left homeless, and devoid of
all save their night-clothing, which concerned her much more than
the loss of almost all her own garments.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158