Wainscoting

“ In the days of Louis XIV. the bed was a massive structure, but in the succeeding reign it became an elegant appendage to a room. At Versailles the splendid galleries of magnificent proportion were transformed by the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France (1715-1723) during the king's minority, into smaller salons covered in wainscoting, painted white and ornamented with gilded statues. In like manner the Louis Quinze decorations were ruthlessly destroyed by Louis-Philippe.{173}
By permission of Messrs. Waring.
LOUIS XV. PARQUETERY COMMODE.
With chased and bronze-gilt mounts. ”

“ Pelham is not here to settle all the questions that may come up concerning this steamer.”
“I think we shall be able to settle them somehow or other,” replied Wainwright confidently. “It would be a big thing for the Tritonia to send that vessel into port.”
“So it would; but it will be a bigger thing to save the passengers on board of her. Though we see but one man on board of her, there may be a dozen or twenty,” added Marline.
“What are they about, if there are any others in her?”
“That’s more than I know; but men lose their heads in times of trouble. ”

“ CHAPTER XXII. TRAILED
“Did you see him?” asked Wainwright, as the hack lurched into Market Street and straightened its course for the ferry.
“Who?”
“Tom Terrill. He was behind that big pillar near the arch there. I saw him just as the old lady spoke to you, but before I catches your eye, he cuts and runs.”
I felt of my revolver at this bit of news, and was consoled to have the touch of it under my hand.
“I didn't see him,” I said. “Keep the child between us, and shoot anybody who tries to stop us or to climb into the hack. I must read my orders.” ”

“ More men marched in, more marched on, still they trained. It seemed eons since he had bade Ruth and his mother good-bye that night at the camp. No mail had come. Oh, if he could just hear a word from home! If he only had 252 her picture! They had taken some together at camp and she had promised to have them developed and send them, but they would probably never reach him. And it were better if they did not. Wainwright was censor. If he recognized the writing nothing would ever reach him he was sure. Still, Wainwright had nothing to do with the incoming mail, only the outgoing. ”

“ Old men's love the longest will last, AND THE THROSTLE-COCK'S HEAD IS UNDER HIS WING. The young man's wrath is like light straw on fire; HEARD YE SO MERRY THE LITTLE BIRD SING? But like red-hot steel is the old man's ire, AND THE THROSTLE-COCK'S HEAD IS UNDER HIS WING. The young man will brawl at the evening board; HEARD YE SO MERRY THE LITTLE BIRD SING? But the old man will draw at the dawning the sword, AND THE THROSTLE-COCK'S HEAD IS UNDER HIS WING.
Waverley could not avoid observing that Davie laid something like a satirical emphasis on these lines. ”

“ His tall hat was tightly on his head all this time; politeness in the mountains is not a matter of hat. They were but half a mile from Ellerby now, and the horses began to trot for the first time in eight hours. Brother Bethuel turned himself, and met Wainwright's eyes. Now those eyes of Wainwright were of a pale color, like the eyes of a fish; but they had at times a certain inflexibility which harassed the beholder, as, sometimes, one fish in an aquarium will drive a person into nervousness by simply remaining immovable behind his glass wall, and staring out at him stonily. ”

“ My uncomfortable reflections were broken by the clanging engine-bells and the forward movement of the passengers as the steamboat passed into the slip at Long Wharf.
“Stand together, boys,” I cautioned my men. “Keep back of the crowd. Wainwright will take the boy, and the rest of you see that nobody gets near him.”
“All right,” said Wainwright, lifting the child in his arms. “It will take a good man to get him away from me.”
“Where's Abrams?” I asked, noting that only six of my men were at hand. ”

“ The aged and valiant Wainamoinen harnessed his steed to his brown sledge; he mounted upon the seat, smote the swift horse, and cracked his great whip adorned with pearls.
The steed flew over the long course, drawing the brown sledge, devouring distance. Swift as wind was the driving of Wainamoinen, until he neared the dwelling of the sorcerers, the first of the habitations of the wizards. And he halted at the threshold, and cried: "Is there in this habitation any man learned in the knowledge of iron—any man who can oppose a dike to this river, who can check this torrent of blood?" ”

“ A man came down the path carrying a tray full of tinkling glasses. There was nothing in his size or general outline to suggest that he was other than the butler who had served earlier in the evening, and it was too dark to see his face. Wainwright arose and strolled over to where his hostess sat breathless.
"What on earth!" she whispered. "Who is he?"
"Give it up! I believe he's the cook's cousin's son-in-law—that woman of yours is a jewel. Lady Bob!—and the clothes belong to Jerry Stranahan, if you know who he is. I don't, but he's a friend and a brother," he chuckled. ”

“ I shuddered at the thought of the “old man,” and the shadow of Doddridge Knapp weighed on my spirits.
“Are you ready for an excursion, Fitzhugh?” I whispered.
He nodded assent.
“Well, we'll be out of here in a minute or two. Take that overcoat. I've got one. Now tie that blanket to the bedpost. No, it won't be long enough. You'll have to hold it for us, boys.”
I heard the change of guards below, and, giving directions to Wainwright, with funds to settle our account with the house, I blew out the lamp, quietly swung open the shutter and leaned over the sill. ”

“ At present, however, the word “wainscot” is always used to designate the real wainscot oak.’ It will be seen from this very interesting explanation that within the narrow limits of a particular trade, the old meaning of ‘wainscot,’ which has everywhere else disappeared, still survives. It would be curious to trace how much in this way of earlier English within limited technical circles lives [Pg 298] on, having everywhere else died out. For a further account of ‘wainscot,’ see Skeat’s Dictionary, p. ”

“ Straightway arose from the ocean a little being clad in copper,—cap, boots, gloves, and belt. He was no longer than a man's forefinger, and the blade of the hatchet at his belt was but a finger's breadth. "Art thou divine, or human?" queried Wainamoinen. "Tell me who thou art. Thou surely hast the bearing of a hero, though so small. But thou must be of the race of the pygmies, and therefore useless." ”

“ Then Wainamoinen saw that it was vain to [132] practice deceit with one so skilled in the ways of life and death. So he answered her truthfully and half-ashamed: “I pray you, pardon the slippings of my tongue, for my heart does not lend itself to falsehood. Months ago I began to build a magic vessel in which to sail the northern seas. With one song I laid the keel, with another I framed the gunwales, with a third I fastened the ribs in their places. All my tools, my hammer, my auger, my saw, my chisels, were words of magic. ”

“ You have no time to lose.”
The younger woman placed the child in the hack.
“Climb in, Wainwright,” said I, eying the youngster unfavorably. “Will he travel with us, ma'am? He's rather young.”
“He'll go all right,” said the elder woman with some agitation. “He knows that he must. But treat him carefully. Now good-by.”
“Oakland Ferry, driver,” I cried, as I stepped into the hack and slammed the door. And in a moment we were dashing out into New Montgomery Street, and with a turn were on Market Street, rolling over the rough cobbles toward the bay. ”

“ The front door of the car opened and shut with a slam, and a tall young fellow with a finely cut face and wearing workman’s clothes entered. He gave one quick glance down the car as though he was searching for someone, and came on down the aisle. The sight of him stopped the boast on young Wainwright’s tongue, and an angry flush grew, and rolled up from the top of his immaculate olive-drab collar to his close, military hair-cut. ”

“ Wainwright nodded his agreement with me.
“And then,” I continued, “they won't try to do anything until after dark—not before the middle of the night, I should say—or until the townspeople have gone to bed.”
“You're right, sir,” said Abrams. “A dark night and a clear field suits that gang best.”
“Well, here's the dinner,” said I; “so you can make yourselves easy. Porter, you may keep an eye on the stairway, and Brown may watch from the windows. The rest of us will fall to.”
In the midst of the meal Porter came in.
“Darby Meeker's in the office below,” he announced. ”

“ Stothard.
"Oh no; they have no daughter, only a son, who lives in London. This young lady is their niece, daughter of--why, God bless my soul! you must have heard of him--Mr. Paul Derinzy, the merchant, the millionaire, who died some time ago. Ah! I forgot, though; millionaires--real ones, I mean--are not much in your line," added Dr. Wainwright, with a laugh. "You see plenty who fancy that----"
"Oh, and so Mr. Paul Derinzy is dead," interrupted Mrs. Stothard; "and this young lady is his daughter? I think, Dr. Wainwright, I must decline the situation." ”

“ Wainwright hastened to Scott with the pleasant news he had to tell, and the main cabin was obtained for that evening. As the instructors spent most of their unoccupied time on deck, this was no hardship to them. The lodge opened again, with those present who had taken the second degree. In older to make the thing more ludicrous than before, the officers enveloped themselves in blankets, sheets, and such other fantastic apparel as they could lay hands upon, and each one placed his small tin wash-bowl on his head, the handle of which stuck out like a queue behind. ”

“ But it was all over.
“He is quiet, and bears it well,” thought Lord Wainbridge; but then we should always bear the result of our own wrong-doing with philosophy. No one—Lord Wainbridge least of all—would have pitied him had he not endured it with patience. Inwardly Hugh Wainbridge was raging—raging with a wild longing to possess Launa—to have held her in his arms alone, while she was his—to have kissed the life and breath out of her. ”

“ Not when you follow a traveling carnival all the way to Crowndale and stay away for two days and identify yourself with wandering acrobats and such. Of course, there’s no use talking about those things now. But if you’re asking me, that isn’t a scout stunt at all.”
“Gee williger!” Hervey ejaculated in comment on the unreasonableness of all councilors and camp regulations.
“That’s just it, you don’t understand,” said Mr. Wainwright. “Scouting doesn’t consist merely in doing things that are hard to do. If that were so, I suppose every lawless gangster could call himself a scout.” ”

“ Alma quies optata, veni! Not that you can be called alma quies, you restless bird of the night! What's the matter? what are you making signs about?" asked George.
"That idiot, Billy Dunlop, is with me," replied Paul, grinning; "he is doing some of his pantomime nonsense outside;" and, indeed, George Wainwright, peering out in the darkness, could make out a stout figure approaching with cautious gestures, which, when it emerged into the lamplight, proved to be Mr. Dunlop.
"Hallo, Billy! what are you at? Come in, man; light a pipe, and be happy." ”

“ Wain dropped heavily into the tiny cockpit of the boat and prepared to hoist sail. "My wife wants to see you, and the hotel table isn't altogether impossible."
"You're good, but—no, thank you," returned Speed from the dock. "Shall I cast you off?"
"Please. I'll sing out when." Wain tugged, panting, at the halyards until he had the canvas spread to his satisfaction, thereafter making fast to cleats and slowly coiling up the surplus rope. "These experiments?" he demanded suddenly, with a troubled face. "Do they lead anywhere? You get results?" ”

“ The strain of the terrible night when he knew not what moment might be his last had proved too much for the Scout, however, and when his comrades gained his side, he was jabbering to himself, a raving maniac.
Calling down all the curses of which they could think upon the head of the desperado for his treatment of their fellow, the officer and his men quickly, but tenderly, removed the gag, bandage and rawhide, then lifted the scout from his horse and laid him on the plain, forcing some brandy between his swollen lips, all the while plying him with questions. ”

“ When Comstock had told us what he had done, and what his regulations were, he said, that such as would not swear to stick by him, must go on the other side of the deck. I did not know how many were engaged in the mutiny, and believing that we should be killed if we did not swear, we all swore to stick by Comstock and obey his orders. ”

“ Many a less brave man has gone to a battle with a stouter heart than that with which George Wainwright entered the Derinzy mansion, and was ushered into the room where Annette, her aunt, and Mrs. Stothard were assembled. The young lady was seated at the piano; the sounds of music had reached the visitors as they ascended the stairs; and on their entrance she rose. Paul went into the room first. She received her cousin with a smile, and his friend, who followed him closely, with a deep, burning, lasting blush, perceived by Paul, George, and one other. ”

“ Now only the keel remained to be wrought; the strong keel of the war-ship had yet to be fashioned. And Wainamoinen smote down a great oak, that he might carve and curve its body as keels are curved and carven. But the dying oak uttered its words of wood, its magical voice of warning, saying: "Never may I serve for the keel of thy boat, for the bottom of thy war-ship. Lo! the worms have made their crooked dwellings within my roots: yesterday the raven alighted upon my head; bloody was his back, bloody his crest, and blood lay clotting upon the blackness of his neck." ”