The Dragon of Wantley by Owen Wister 2 Miss Elaine Free Comedy Book Club Audiobook Library.
chapter 2 of the dragon of wantly his tale by owen wister this librivox recording is in the public domain chapter 2 how his daughter miss elaine behaved in consequence the baron walked on his rage mounting as he went till presently he began talking aloud to himself more di we and corsonage he muttered grinding his teeth over these oaths matters have come to a pretty pass per my and per two and this is what my wine bibing ancestor has brought on his posterity by his omission to fight for the true faith sir godfrey knew the outrageous injustice of this remark as well as you or i do but so did the portrait of his ancestor which he happened to be passing under for the red nose in the tapestry turned a deeper ruby in scornful anger but luckily for the nerves of its descendant the moss had eaten its mouth away so entirely that the retort it attempted to make sounded only like a faint hiss which the baron mistook for a little gust of wind behind the aris my ruddy burgundy he groaned going going and my rich fruity mauvoisee all gone father anselm didn't appreciate it either that night he dined here last september he said i had put eggshells in it eggshells poo as if any parson could talk about wine these church folk had better mind their business and say grace and eat their dinner and be thankful that's what i say eggshells forsooth the baron was passing through the chapel and he mechanically removed his helmet but he did not catch sight of the glittering eye of father anselm himself who had stepped quickly into the confessional and there in the dark watched sir godfrey with a strange mocking smile when he had the chapel to himself again the tall grey figure of the abbot appeared in full view and craftily moved across the place if you had been close beside him and had listened hard you could have heard a faint clank and jingle beneath his gown as he moved which would have struck you as not the sort of noise a hair shirt ought to make but i am glad you were not there for i do not like the way the abbott looked at all especially so near christmas tide when almost everyone somehow looks kinder as he goes about in the world father anselm moved out of the chapel and passed through lonely corridors out of wantly manor out of the courtyard and so took his way to oyster lama in the gathering dusk the few people who met him received his blessing and asked no questions for they were all serfs of the glebe and well used to meeting the abbot going and coming near wantly manor meanwhile sir godfrey paced along to think he continued aloud to think the country could be rid of this monster this guzzling serpent in a few days plenty would rain again public peace of mind would be restored the cattle would increase the crops would grow my rents treble and my wines be drunk no more by a miserable ignorant but no i'm her father elaine shall never be permitted to sacrifice herself for one dragon or twenty dragons either why what's the matter papa sir godfrey started there was miss elaine in front of him and she had put on one of the new french gowns he had brought over with him matter plenty of matter he began unluckily at least nothing is the matter at all my dear what a question am i not back all safe from the sea nothing is the matter of course hasn't your old father been away from you two whole months and weren't those pretty dresses he has carried back with him for his little girl and isn't the wine sounds no the wine isn't at least certainly it is to be sure it's what it ought to be what it ought to be yes but more def not where it ought to be i think i'm going mad and sir godfrey forgetting he held the helmet all this while dashed his hands to his head with such violence that the steel edge struck hard above the ear and in one minute had raised a lump there as large as the egg of a foul poor poor papa said miss elaine and she ran and fetched some...