They Were
Just High Enough Up In The Social Order Not To Be Afraid To Speak
To A Gentleman; And Just Low Enough To Feel A Little Tremor, A
Nervous Consciousness Of Wrong-Doing - Of Stolen Waters, That Gave A
Considerable Zest To Our Most Innocent Interview.
They were as
much discomposed and fluttered, indeed, as if I had been a wicked
baron proposing to elope
With the whole trio; but they showed no
inclination to go away, and I had managed to get them off hills and
waterfalls and on to more promising subjects, when a young man was
descried coming along the path from the direction of Keswick. Now
whether he was the young man of one of my friends, or the brother
of one of them, or indeed the brother of all, I do not know; but
they incontinently said that they must be going, and went away up
the path with friendly salutations. I need not say that I found
the lake and the moonlight rather dull after their departure, and
speedily found my way back to potted herrings and whisky-and-water
in the commercial room with my late fellow-traveller. In the
smoking-room there was a tall dark man with a moustache, in an
ulster coat, who had got the best place and was monopolising most
of the talk; and, as I came in, a whisper came round to me from
both sides, that this was the manager of a London theatre. The
presence of such a man was a great event for Keswick, and I must
own that the manager showed himself equal to his position.
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