Anne Belinda Read Online Free

when it comes to slithering on your tummy through a crawling swamp, trying to get a close-up of a puff-adder in the bosom of his family, or stalking one hamadryad whilst another one stalks you. Old Peterson was a wonder. He was too fat to crawl himself, but his pluck and endurance were amazing. We were in the thick of his book when I saw your advertisement; and, naturally, I couldn’t have left him then. Besides, I had no money to keep the place up on—and of all beastly jobs in the world, I should think the beastliest would be to sit down in a mouldering old place and wait for it to fall about your ears. I would rather tout for jobs in the street again—there’s more life in it.”
    Lewis Smith looked puzzled.
    â€œAren’t you going to stay over here now? My uncle seemed to think—”
    John shifted his position rather abruptly.
    â€œWell,” he said, “I haven’t made up my mind. I’ve got the money now. That ripping old chap just lived to see his book come out, and when he was gone I found he’d left me every cent he’d got. I don’t believe he knew himself how much it was—money didn’t interest him. Well, I’ve got plenty.”
    â€œWhat a stroke of luck!”
    John’s eyes went bleak. That he would have given the money twice over to hear old Peterson say “My boy,” with his funny accent, was a thing which Lulu Smith couldn’t be expected to understand. He leaned forward with a sudden change of voice and manner.
    â€œWell, that’s that. About Waveney—I haven’t made up my mind. I got an order to view from your uncle and went down incog. to have a look at the place.”
    â€œWhat did you think of it?”
    John wasn’t going to say. He laughed, and drummed with his heels against the side of the chair.
    â€œThe housekeeper’s the grimmest female I ever met—absolutely. Now look here, Lulu, I want to ask you some questions.”
    â€œFire away.”
    â€œWell, the estate comes to me. But most of the money went to Sir Anthony’s daughters?”
    â€œDaughter.”
    â€œWhat?” The word came out very short and sharp. John felt, in fact, as if he had been hit.
    â€œDaughter,” repeated Lewis Smith.
    â€œBut there are two, aren’t there?” He still spoke quickly. “I saw a picture of them down at Waveney.”
    â€œYes—twins. But the money went to Lady Marr.”
    â€œAll of it?”
    â€œYes, all of it.”
    John stared at the carpet, but he didn’t see the pattern; he saw a girl looking into a mirror at a reflection which was yet not a reflection—fair, short hair cut close to the neck; and long dark plaits hanging down until they were lost in the shadow. Jenifer Anne and Anne Belinda—which of them was Lady Marr? He looked up with a frown and said the words aloud:
    â€œJenifer Anne and Anne Belinda—which of them’s Lady Marr?”
    â€œOh, Jenifer. They call her Jenny.”
    â€œAnd which is she? One of ’em had fair hair, cut short the way everyone’s wearing it now; and the other one had long dark plaits.” His voice changed ever so little. With all his conviction that it was the fair-haired girl that was Lady Marr, he waited impatiently for Lewis to say so.
    â€œI don’t know that I noticed. We drew up the marriage settlement; but my uncle attended to it mostly. I only saw the sisters together once, and they were awfully alike—what you’d expect of twins. Lady Marr was in here about a month ago, and I saw her then, because my uncle was out.”
    â€œWell?” The impatience was in John’s voice now.
    Lewis laughed. “You can’t see anyone’s hair nowadays. She’d on one of those sort of extinguishers women wear, just let you tell how much lipstick they use. But now I come to think of it, I could see one of her eyes; and it was brown, if that’s any