The second son Author:Margaret Oliphant 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: Ill BKOTHEES ' I Wonder,' said Edmund, as they returned towards the house, ' whether I may speak to you quite frankly, Eoger ?' ' That means make yourse... more »lf disagreeable about something. Well, fire away. I don't mind anything, now that fellow 's gone." ' I wish you wouldn't speak of him so.' ' Come, that's a little too much, Ned. I mean Steve no harm, but you don't think it adds to the comfort of the household, do you, when he's here 1' To this the younger brother made no reply, especially as at the moment he had obeyed involuntarily an impulse given by Eoger, in which more was meant than met the eye. They had been walking along the road which, with a sweep round the village common, led to Melcombe from the railway. Eoger had not said that he intended to take a less direct way, but he silently turned along a cross-road traversing the common in the opposite direction, and his brother had followed without a word. Indeed, there could not be said to be either leading or following in the matter, for they moved as by one impulse, keeping side by side. Imperceptible as the influence was, however, it was so marked that when the turn was taken Edmund looked up quickly with a questioning glance. After a moment he spoke— ' Need we enter into that 1 I have wanted for some time to speak to you, Eoger. Don't you think you should come to some decision now, and think of doing what my father wishes so much, what all your friends desire 1' ' Speak plainly. I am bad at riddles.' ' It is no riddle; you know what I mean," said Edmund, with a faint rising colour. ' You should marry; you know that's the question.' Eoger was silent for a moment, and they went on quickly, their footsteps ringing clear upon the road, as if that had been the prevailing sound to which speech wa...« less