Perlycross a Novel Author:R. D. Blackmore 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 NICIE In the bright summer sunshine the old church looked like a ship that had been shattered by the waves, and was hoisted in a dry-dock for re... more »pairs. To an ignorant eye it appeared to be in peril of foundering and plunging into the depth below, so frequent and large were the rifts and chasms yawning in the ancient framework. Especially was there one long gap in the footings of the south chancel wall, where three broad arches were being turned, and a solid buttress rising, to make good the weakness of the Waldron vault. Sacks of lime, and piles of sand, coils of cord, and blocks of stone, scaffold-poles and timber-balks, wheelbarrows grovelling on their bellies, shovels and hods and planks and ladders, hats upon tombstones, and jackets on graves, sacred niches garnished with tobacco-pipes, and pious memories enlivened by " Jim Crow "—so cheerful was the British workman, before he was educated. " Parson coming," was whispered round, while pewter pots jumped under slabs, and jugs had coats thrown over them, for Mr. Penniloe would have none of their drinking in the church-yard, and was loath to believe that they could do it, with all the sad examples beneath them. But now his mind was filled with deeper troubles, and even the purpose of his visit had faded from his memory. " Just in time, sir. I was waiting for you," said Mr. Robson Adney, standing in front of the shored-up screen on the southern side of the tower; " if it bears the strain of this new plinth, the rest is a matter of detail. Your idea of the brace was capital, and the dovetail will never show at all. Now, Charley, steady there—not too heavy. Five minutes will show whether we are men or muffs. But don't stand quite so close, sir. I think we have gotit all right; but if there should happen to be a...« less