Amaryllis at the Fair A Novel Author:Richard Jefferies 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 IV. HIS arm-chair, of old-fashioned make, had lost an arm—the screw remained sticking up, but the woodwork on that side was gone. It had been accident... more »ally broken some ten years since; yet, although he used the chair every day, the arm had never been mended. Awkward as it was, ho let it alone. "Hum ! where's The Standard, then ?" he said presently, as he nibbled his cheese and sipped the ale which he had placed on the hob. " Here it is, Pa," said Amaryllis, hastening with the paper. " Thought you despised the papers ?" said Mrs. Iden. " Thought there was nothing but lies and rubbish in them, according to you?" " No more thur bean't." "You always take good care to read them, though." " Hum !" Another deep grunt, and another slight turn of the chair. He could not answer this charge of inconsistency, for it was a fact that heaffected to despise the newspaper and yet read it with avidity, and would almost as soon have missed his ale as his news. However, to settle with his conscience, he had a manner of holding the paper half aslant a good way from him, and every now and then as he read uttered a dissentient or disgusted grunt. The master's taking up his paper was a signal for all other persons to leave the room, and not to return till he had finished his news and his nap. Mrs. Iden and Amaryllis, as they went out, each took as many of the dishes as they could carry, for it was uncertain when they could come in again to clear the table. The cloth must not be moved, the door opened, or the slightest sound heard till the siesta was over. " Can't clear the dinner things till four o'clock," said Mrs. Iden as she went, " and then you want your tea—senseless !" Amaryllis shut the door, and the master was left to himself. By-and-by, his cheese being fi...« less