Chris of Allsorts Author:Sabine Baring-Gould 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 LADY LAURA " 1ST Lord. As we are ourselves, what things are we ! 2ND Lord. Merely our own traitors." All's Well thai Ends Well, Act iv. Scene... more » 3. " T 7"ELL, Chris ! " exclaimed Lady Laura V V Demant, " so here you are at last. What has happened ? " " I was benighted, aunt, and my horse tired out." " Dear, dear! And all alone ? " " No, aunt, I was not alone." " Not alone ! Good gracious ! Who was with you ? " " Mr. Bates, the surgeon. He kindly assisted me." " When ? " "Yesterday." " And since then ? " "He has taken care of me since. He has been very good and considerate." " But where did you stay ? " " At the ' Hunter's Moon,' a very nice little inn." "Good gracious me ! And Mr. Bates also?" " Yes, aunt." "How vexatious! It would have been far better if you had met with an accident." " What—broken my neck ? " " No, not exactly that, but a collar-bone. It would have served as an excuse. Now it will be the talk of the town. Surely you did not ride into Barnford along with Mr. Bates?" "Yes, I did, Aunt Laura." " And with no one else ? " " No." " Goodness! What a catastrophe! What will Captain Fenton say to this ? He was here two or three times yesterday evening, and again this morning, inquiring about you." " I saw him at the billiard-room window as I passed." " Dear, dear! What a misfortune! This has been a dreadful hunt, a most unfortunate day." " I assure you, aunt, we had the best run of the season." " I do not mean that. I mean this happening to you. It should not have occurred." " It was an accident." " But accidents should not be allowed to happen. I mean accidents of this sort." " I lost my way. I did not know the country." " You should have taken a map with you." ...« less