Torrington

“ William Cory had always a deep love of his old home, a strong sense of local sanctities and tender associations. "I hope you will always feel," his mother used to say, "wherever you live, that Torrington belongs to you." He said himself, in later years, "I want to be a Devon man and a Torrington man." His memory lingered over the vine-shaded verandah, the jessamine that grew by the balustrade of the steps, the broad-leaved myrtle that covered the wall of the little yard.
The boy was elected on the foundation at Eton in 1832, little guessing that it was to be his home for forty years. ”

“ I thought you would hate and shun me.—Rosalind Torrington! you are a beautiful specimen, and a very rare one. To please you, and to approach you if I could, I would read much, and think and reason more, and try to hope again, as I did once, until I was stretched upon the torturing rack of fear: but there is no time left me!"
"Do not say that, dear friend," said Rosalind, gently drawing Henrietta's cold and trembling arm within her own. "You are still so young, that time is left for harder studies than any I propose to you." ”

“ No one would expect any dire results to come of simply spraining a young man’s ankle on a steamer; but they did; which is the way many disasters occur and often we don’t find out why even afterwards, though in this case Lord Torrington did, thanks to me.
“Joseph Antony Kinsella and Peter Walsh and Timothy Sweeny and Patsy the smith came up one day on a deputation with a donkey load of turf for father and Lord Torrington, which seemed curious, but wasn’t, really because there were bottles and bottles of illicit whisky under the turf. ”

“ I have overheard painful comparisons, Miss Torrington, between times past and present, and I am sorry for it. I really would not willingly add to the sorrow and suffering my race has brought upon you. Do not go and sit by yourself and weep till you are sick, as I have done many's the time and oft. Let us take a very slow ramble into that very thickest part of the Reverend Mr. Cartwright's shrubbery, where the sun never enters—shall we? We are quite fine enough for such godly people, without any more dressing for dinner. ”

“ But, at her age, such a whim as this is not, I should hope, very likely to be lasting."
"I don't know that," replied Lady Harrington sharply. "Miss Torrington has acted with great propriety, and exactly with the sort of promptitude and decision of character for which I should have given her credit. Beware, Mr. Mowbray, how you make light of the appearance of religious schism among you: it is a deadly weapon of discord, and the poison in which it is dipped seldom finds an antidote either in family affection or filial obedience." ”

“ She, too, felt at her fingers' ends how greatly the sacrifice of her curls was approved by the graceful vicar, who now sat down surrounded by this fair bevy of ladies, smiling with bland and gentle sweetness on them all.
Mr. Jacob thought of the promised five shillings, and displaying his fine teeth from ear to ear, presented a chair to Miss Torrington.
"I wish you would let us have a song, Miss Rosalind Torrington," said he, stationing himself at the back of her chair and leaning over her shoulder. "I am told that your voice beats every thing on earth hollow." ”

“ Hastings
Ah, Mr. Torrington, you come just in time, and we await you eagerly.
Torrington I meet the company with pleasure, reunited on a joyful day in one place. I believe my presence won't displease. The future has great attractions. Your daughter was only lacking a husband—despite all her attractions, she was incomplete. But, now, behold the well made man love has given her. Now, she has nothing to desire.
McNaughten Except to be a widow, and see me buried. That is the finishing touch on the happiness of a woman. ”

“ I never believe people when they tell me their houses are wholesome. If I smell an unpleasant smell I go," said Mrs. Torrington.
"There is often wisdom in flight," replied the journalist; "but I do not think this is a case of bad drainage."
"No more do I," returned Mrs. Torrington, dropping her voice and becoming confidential; "of course we both perfectly understand what it all means. There has been a row between Mr. and Mrs. Tregonell, and de Cazalet has got his congé from the husband." ”

“ Mind if I get myself a peg?" He was crossing to the decanter when he stopped, drew an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table before Mr. Torrington.
"What do you make of that?" he asked. "Came early this morning, no post mark—nothing—just slipped through the box."
Hilbert Torrington took from the envelope a single flower pressed almost flat. It was a dog rose.
"Odd," he muttered, "distinctly odd." He weighed the flower in his hand and sniffed the envelope critically. It had no scent. "You have no one, Almont—I mean, there isn't anyone who'd be likely to—Well, you're a young man." ”

“ Captain (reading the letter) "I await you, sir, to pay you the sixty thousand pounds which your uncle has left you by his will, and to marry you to Miss Flavella Hastings, of whom I have spoken to you several times in my letters. The lady likes you very much, and her father is very determined on this marriage. Don't waste time in getting to London. Your very humble servant, Charles Torrington."
Spruce
Now, I begin to see—
Captain Torrington is the name of the honest solicitor who worked for my father. ”

“ Lord Almont and Mr. Torrington made a duet with "My dear fellar!" and
"We have already realised that, Mr. Tidd."
"So, if there's anything shady in the transaction?"
"Nothing."
Richard fixed on Cranbourne. "Political?"
"No."
"You've stirred my curiosity, gentlemen."
Mr. Torrington leant forward and laid a hand on his arm,
"To this extent we can satisfy it," he said. "We three are engaged upon an operation of considerable magnitude."
"I guessed that much, sir. When three men like yourselves forgather one can generally look for balloons in the sky." ”

“ Aunt Juliet got rather the worst of it, I must say. Lady Torrington is one of those people whose garments smell of myrrh, aloes and cassia, and yet whose words are very swords; you know the sort I mean.”
“Lord Torrington is chasing his daughter,” said Frank, “who has run away from home. I vote we find her first and then help her to hide.”
“Of course. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s why we’re going off in the boat tomorrow.”
“But she’s not on the bay,” said Frank. “Miss Rutherford is too fat to be her. He said so.”
“Who’s talking about Miss Rutherford? She’s simply sponge-hunting. ”

“ His total dependence, contrasted with Miss Torrington's wealth, was perpetually recurring to him, producing a degree of restraint in his manner that cut Rosalind to the heart, and roused all her womanly pride to prevent the long-combated feeling of attachment to which his present sorrows gave tenfold strength from betraying itself.
The tripping lightly through summer paths, and the picking one's way through wintry lanes, are two very different operations; and notwithstanding their early rising, they found the baronet and his lady already at the breakfast-table. ”

“ At half-past ten Sir Lucius and Lord Torrington drove into the town and pulled up opposite Brannigan’s shop. The Tortoise lay at her moorings, a sight which gratified Sir Lucius. After his experience the day before he was afraid that Peter Walsh might have beached the boat in order to execute some absolutely necessary repairs. He congratulated himself on having suggested to Sergeant Rafferty that one of the constables should keep an eye on her.
“There’s the boat, Torrington,” he said. “She’s small, and there’s a fresh breeze. ”

“ Barraclough remained silent.
"If you refuse to adopt that view all I can see for it is either to drop the whole thing or to let Van Diest come in and split the profit."
For one instant the placid blue eyes of Mr. Torrington were lit with a shiny white fire.
"Van Diest will not be in this, Cassis," he said.
"But look here, dear old Mr. Torrington," Lord Almont exclaimed.
"Surely you agree that Barra ought to give us his trust."
The old man smiled whimsically.
"Think so?" he said.
"I mean to say, we're not the kind of people to take advantage of a man." ”

“ Jacob? Do you always make a point of contradicting every thing he says?"
"Pretty generally, Miss Torrington, when there is nobody by, and when I make it all pass for joke. But there is a law that even Miss Henrietta has been taught to obey; and that is, never to contradict him in company. Perhaps you have found that out, Miss Rosalind?" ”

“ All these questions Torrington answered by a plain negative. He had never seen Dockwrath till the attorney had come to him on the matter of the partnership deed. He had never eaten or drunk with him, nor had there ever been between them any conversation of a confidential nature. 'That will do, Mr. Torrington,' said Graham; and as he sat down, he again turned round and looked Mr. Chaffanbrass full in the face.
After that nothing further of interest was done that day. A few unimportant witnesses were examined on legal points, and then the court was adjourned. ”

“ Taylor says Torrington's will be nothing better than a swatting shop, and no place for gentlemen, if it isn't stopped.'
Horace opened his eyes. 'I thought we went to school that we might learn all we could!' he said.
'Oh, Torrington's has got so fashionable that fellows have come to think of it as an easy-going place, where they need not work if they don't like it.'
'Just what my pater says!' exclaimed Warren. 'And he told me that if I didn't turn over a new leaf he should send me somewhere else. Now I propose we make ourselves into a swatting club. I believe Mr. ”

“ Torrington is a prosperous manufacturing centre. In 1905 the value of the factory product was $9,674,124. The township of Torrington, originally a part of the township of Windsor, was first settled in 1734, and was separately incorporated in 1740. ”

“ I don't think he is coming, lad. Pass that tin of tobacco. We have half an hour to wait. Let's forget my dark horse of the Arcade for the time being, and revert to the other matter which we were discussing."
Torrington raised the lid of the tin and began to fill his briar, staring at Carey the while; then:
"To be blunt," he said, "are you or are you not going down to Low Ketley?"
"I am not," Carey replied, without hesitation.
"Then you're a fool!" Torrington cried. "You are worse than a fool; you are failing in your plain duty." ”

“ Torrington's syndicate was not composed of fools and yet the kidnapping of Barraclough had been mere child's play without a speck of opposition. His own side had been guilty of an act of crass stupidity in failing to carry off the servant Doran as well as his master. It was one of those tragic oversights which occur in the most carefully laid plans. Unquestionably Doran would have told his employers what happened on the night of the 27th and they could hardly have failed to guess the truth. ”

“ Now Torrington's sadly needs a few lads like this, for it is beginning [52] to suffer from the dry rot that a great name often brings to a school after some years. The sons of wealthy men are sent there, who have no need to toil with either hands or brains, and they take care not to do it themselves, and to hinder others from doing it if they can. For Len, and lads like him, this example is bad; and so to introduce a studious lad, who will think less of games than of lessons, has become a necessity, if Torrington's is to be saved from going to the dogs ”

“ I don’t like Wetherby, and I hate all middle-men. I’ll settle the matter with Torrington Torwood himself. I’ve written now to demand his address.’
‘Ah, my dear lady, that would certainly be a pleasanter way of managing matters; but young men do not always care about being troubled with business, and sometimes decline to act except through their agents.’
‘Oh, that is all nonsense!’ quoth Miss Marjory sharply. ‘I mean to see him myself. He cannot say no to an old woman, his father’s friend—he is too much of a Torwood, I hope, for that.’
‘Ah well, we will hope for the best. ”

“ McNaughten
You're joking, sir.
Torrington
And, in his headstrong character you find frankness of heart.
McNaughten (genially) I will be even with you. It's you to whom virtues are social conventions. I would praise you equally, if I had your facility with words.
Torrington
If, as I believe, we are all agreed, we can proceed.
Urania (sweetly) No need to hurry. I am opposed, if you please, to this pretty marriage, and for a very good reason.
Hastings You can tell us your reasons and your griefs tomorrow, sister. Don't prevent us from doing our business. ”

“ Torrington, who thought about men as well as money.
"Am a bit."
"Did you try to make Hendon?"
"Did I try? Yes, I tried and travelled a Wild West shooting man on the lid of the cab who worked a hold up by The Welsh Harp. Far as I can see there must be hundreds out to prevent me." His mouth hardened. "But I'm going to do it. I mean to do it somehow."
Mr. Torrington smiled sweetly.
"Ardent young man," he said.
Cassis put his finger tips together and remarked:
"Recklessness is a luxury we can't afford."
"I'm prepared to take chances," said Barraclough. ”

“ You forget, Miss Torrington, that they are penniless," said Charles.
"But I am not penniless, sir," replied Rosalind, looking at him with an expression of anger that proceeded wholly from his formal mode of address, but which he interpreted as the result of a manner assumed to keep him at a distance.
"May I venture to say one word, my dear children, before I take my leave of you?" said Mrs. Williams.
"Oh yes," said Helen, taking her by the hand; "I wish you would give us your advice, Williams: we are too young to decide for ourselves at such a dreadful moment as this." ”

“ Following the complaints of the Dutch, it is customary to attribute the unfortunate result of that battle to the lukewarmness or shyness of Lord Torrington [see Herbert, Arthur, Earl of Torrington] , but no such charge was made against Delavall, who, keeping the blue squadron in good order, stoutly maintained the action for five hours against a distinctly superior force of the enemy. ”