The Joy of Youth Author:Eden Phillpotts Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III LUNCH AT VANESTOWE Thbee days after her return home there was a little luncheon at her lover's, and Loveday came to it. She arrived on her bicy... more »cle, an hour early, and Sir Ralegh met her at the outer gate and walked with her through the woods. Pheasants cried round about them, and the baronet declared that he had seldom known such a successful year. " The spring was just right and the birds came on wonderfully and never had a throw back," he declared. " There'll be too much leaf at the beginning of October, and I shan't shoot much before the big parties. Partridges are. extraordinarily wild. It's a bore; I'm not shooting any too well this year." " Perhaps you're a bit stale," she said, but he could not natter himself it was so. He went into the possible reasons for his bad form at great length, while she listened and nodded and walked with her arm in his. Knowing that she loved them, he took her into an orchard house, where yellow figs grew, and watched her while she ate. " Who are coming to luncheon? " she asked. " Only the Misses Neill-Savage and Nina Spedding and her brother, and you and your uncle." Loveday made a face. " I hate the Neill-Savages." " They play for their own hand a bit, I admit; but they're sound, and nowadays merely to be sound is something. We shall soon have our backs to the wall; but united we may stand a little longer." " In politics and religion? " " Another fig? " "No; but they are lovely. Come into the potting- sheds. Has Pry got his autumn bulbs yet? I love to see them and touch them before they go into the ground." Sir Ralegh laughed. " What a gardener you are. I believe when you come to live here, you'll want everything turned upside down." " Not I — everything is far too lovely and perfect. I a...« less