Page:The Country-House Party.djvu/15

7 constant rebellion against the surrounding dulness, these were no English traits. Some ancestor had robbed her of her birthright, some malcontent had grown tired of the sunshine and the clear air, and so she was born in this city.

Now she would never see that splendid spirit who called to her from the snow, or from the golden sunshine of some far-off country.

John had promised that on the honeymoon he would show her something of the wider world, but John had changed his mind, saying home was the dearest place to spend their happiest days in, so they had come to this little house—and stayed for more than twenty years.

It is true, that at the end of the first year John had intended to take her out of England when his holidays came, but little James had arrived by that time, and put a stop to their plans. For eight years little James played the tyrant to his devoted parents, till John said, 'He is getting spoiled, and must go to school. We will send him to a boarding-school, and have that little holiday we planned so long ago.'

When they had quite made up their minds to this, James decided it otherwise; he fell sick, and, slowly recovering, remained delicate for years.