large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb_180
large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb
English
803
The painter, however, did not communicate to his niece the important step which he had taken in her behalf, a forebearance caused not by any anticipated opposition on her part, but solely by a ludicrous consciousness that if she were to ask him for a description of her destined bridegroom, he would be forced to confess that he had not once seen his face, and if called upon, would find it absolutely impossible to identify him. THE PAINTER HOWEVER DID NOT COMMUNICATE TO HIS NIECE THE IMPORTANT STEP WHICH SHE HAD TAKEN IN HER BEHALF A FORBEARANCE CAUSED NOT BY ANY ANTICIPATED OPPOSITION ON HER PART BUT SOLELY BY A LUDICROUS CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IF SHE WERE TO ASK HIM FOR A DESCRIPTION OF HER DESTINED BRIDEGROOM HE WOULD BE FORCED TO CONFESS THAT HE HAD NOT ONCE SEEN HIS FACE AND IF CALLED UPON WOULD FIND IT ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY HIM
, eager to resolve his doubts, had placed himself by the window, in order to watch the street entrance; but the experiment served only to support his suspicions, for the old man did not issue from the door. This was _very_ strange, odd, nay fearful. He and his master returned together, and talked but little on the way, for each had his own subjects of reflection, of anxiety, and of hope. Schalken, however, did not know the ruin which menaced his dearest projects. Gerard Douw knew nothing of the attachment which had sprung up between his pupil and his niece; and even if he had, it is doubtful whether he would have regarded its existence as any serious obstruction to the wishes of Minheer Vanderhausen. Marriages were then and there matters of traffic and calculation; and it would have appeared as absurd in the eyes of the guardian to make a mutual attachment an essential element in a contract of the sort, as it would have been to draw up his bonds and receipts in the language of romance. IDLY OUT OF THE ROOM CHALLKIN EAGER TO RESOLVE HIS DOUBTS HAD PLACED HIMSELF BY THE WINDOW IN ORDER TO WATCH THE STREET ENTRANCE BUT THE EXPERIMENT SERVED ONLY TO SUPPORT HIS SUSPICIONS FOR THE OLD MAN DID NOT ISSUE FROM THE DOOR THIS WAS VERY STRANGE ODD NAY FEARFUL HE AND HIS MASTER RETURNED TOGETHER AND TALKED BUT LITTLE ON THE WAY FOR EACH HAD HIS OWN SUBJECTS OF REFLECTION OF ANXIETY AND OF HOPE CHALKIN HOWEVER DID NOT KNOW THE RUIN WHICH MENACED HIS DEAREST PROJECTS GERARD DAL KNEW NOTHING OF THE ATTACHMENT WHICH HAD SPRUNG UP BETWEEN HIS PUPIL AND HIS NIECE AND EVEN IF HE HAD IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER HE WOULD HAVE REGARDED ITS EXISTENCE AS ANY SERIOUS OBSTRUCTION TO THE WISHES OF MYNHEER VANHAUSEN MARRIAGES WERE THEN AND THERE MATTERS OF TRAFFIC AND CALCULATION AND IT WOULD HAVE APPEARED AS ABSURD IN THE EYES OF THE GUARDIAN TO MAKE A MUTUAL ATTACHMENT AND ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN A CONTRACT OF THE SORT AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DRAW UP HIS BONDS AND RECEIPTS IN THE LANGUAGE OF ROMANCE
large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/803/ghost_stories_001_librivox_64kb_mp3/gs001-schalken_the_painter_lefanu_ge_64kb.flac