Jeffery Farnol

“ And now—Miss Priscilla had Anthea in her arms, and they were kissing each other, and murmuring over each other, as loving women will, while Small Porges stared at the car, and all things pertaining thereto, more especially, the glaring head-lights, with great wondering eyes. ”

“ I s’pecks there’s lots of elves about—hidden in the shadows, you know, an’ peeping at us.”
“There aren’t any elves,—or gnomes,” said Anthea petulantly, for she was still furiously angry with herself.
“But my Uncle Porges told me—”
“Oh!” cried Anthea, stamping her foot suddenly, “can’t you talk of anyone, or anything but—him? I’m tired to death of him and his very name!” ”

“ An’ now we’re going to live happy ever after, all of us, an’ Uncle Porges is going to take us to sail the oceans in his ship,—he’s got a ship that all belongs to his very own self, you know, Auntie Anthea,—so all will be revelry an’ joy—just like the fairy tale, after all. ”

“ Here, he waved his hand to where stood the comely Prudence with the two rosy-cheeked maids peeping over her buxom shoulders.
“Only,” pursued Adam, “I be glad—ah! mortal glad, I be,—as ’tis you, Mr. Belloo sir. There ain’t a man in all the world,—or—as you might say,—uni-verse, as is so proper as you to be the husband to our Miss Anthea—as was,—not nohow, Mr. Belloo sir. I wish you j’y, a j’y as shall grow wi’ the years, an’ abide wi’ you always,—both on ye.”
“That is a very excellent thought Adam!” said Bellew, “and I think I should like to shake hands on it.” ”

“ In this day of ours, ablaze with learning, and culture,—veneered with a fine civilization, our laws are complex beyond all knowing and expression; man regulates his conduct—to them,——and is as virtuous, and honest as the law compels him to be. ”

“ But in Arcadia—because it is an old-world place where life follows an even, simple course, where money is as scarce as roguery, the old law still holds; a promise once given, is a sacred obligation, and not to be set aside. ”

“ So that was why I ’ranged for him to marry you, so you could both be happy, an’ all revelry an’ joy,—like the fairy tale, you know.”
“But, you see, we aren’t in a fairy tale, dear, so I’m afraid we must make the best of things as they are!” and here she sighed again, and rose. “Come, Georgy, it’s much later than I thought, and quite time you were in bed, dear.”
“All right, Auntie Anthea,—only—don’t you think it’s jest a bit—cruel to send a boy to bed so very early, an’ when the moon’s so big, an’ everything looks so—frightfully fine? ”

“ I—I was thinking; what was the question?”
“I was asking you if you would be awful frightened s’posing we did find a pixie—or a gnome, in the shadows; an’ would you be so very awfully frightened if a gnome—a great, big one, you know,—came jumping out an’—ran off with you,—should you?”
“No!” said Anthea, with another shiver, “No, dear,—I think I should be—rather glad of it!” ”