"'All summer,' I returned,
"I again thought he looked disappointed.
"'From Troy or New York?' he went on with a vague endeavor to appear
good naturally off hand.
"'New York.'
"'A big place that,' he continued. 'I was there once, lots of money
stored away in them big buildings down in Wall Street, eh?'
"I assented, and he drew a chair up to my side, a proceeding that was
interrupted, however, by the reentrance of his son, who without any
apology crowded into the other side of the fire-place in a way to
sandwich me between them. Not fancying this arrangement which I,
however, imputed to ignorance, I drew back and asked if my room was
ready. It seemed it was not, and unpleasantly as it promised, I felt
forced to reseat myself and join in, if not support, the conversation
that followed.
"A half hour passed away, during which the wind increased till it
almost amounted to a gale. Spurts of rain dashed against the windows
with a sharp crackling sound that suggested hail, while ever and anon
a distant roll as of rousing thunder, rumbled away among the hills in
a long and reverberating peal, that made me feel glad to be housed
even under the roof of these rude and uncongenial creatures.
Suddenly the conversation turned upon the time and time-pieces, when
in a low even tone I heard murmured behind me,
"'The gentleman's room is ready;' and turning, I saw standing in the
doorway the slight figure of the young girl whose appearance had
previously so impressed me.
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