A Group of Noble Dames [Paperback]

Thomas Hardy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1443283118 | ISBN-13: 978-1443283113 | Publication Date: July 7, 2009

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3DAME THE THIRD. THE MARCHIONESS OF STONEHENGE. BY THE RURAL DEAN. DAME THE THIRD. THE MARCHIONESS OF STONEHENGE. BY THE RURAL DEAN. I Would have you know, then, that a great many years ago there lived in a classical mansion with which I used to be familiar, standing not a hundred miles from the city of Melchester, a lady whose personal charms were so rare and unparalleled that she was courted, flattered, and spoilt by almost all the young noblemen and gentlemen in that part of Wessex. For a time these attentions pleased her well. But as, in the words of good Robert South (whose sermons might be read much more than they are), the most passionate lovei of sport, if tied to follow his hawks and hounds every day of his life, would find the pursuit the greatest torment and calamity, and would fly to the mines and galleys for his recreation, so did this lofty and beautiful lady after a while become satiated with the constant iteration of what she had in its novelty enjoyed; and by an almost natural revulsion turned her regards absolutely netherward, socially speaking. She perversely and passionately centred her affection on quite a plain-looking young man of humble birth and no position at all; though it is true that he was gentle and delicate innature, of good address, and guileless heart. In short, he was the parish-clerk's son, acting as assistant to the land-steward of her father, the Earl of Avon, with the hope of becoming some day a land-steward himself. It should be said that perhaps the Lady Caroline (as she was called) was a little stimulated in this passion by the discovery that a young girl of the village already loved the young man fondly, and that he had paid some attentions to her, though merely of a casual and good-natured kind. Since his occupation brought him frequently to th...

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: General Books LLC (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1443283118
• ISBN-13: 978-1443283113
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)