文档介绍：THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN GIRL A ROMANCE
THE QUEST OF THE
GOLDEN GIRL A
ROMANCE
BY RICHARD LE GALLIENNE
TO PRIOR AND LOUISE CHRISTIAN, WITH AFFECTION.
Gennem de Mange til En!
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THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN GIRL A ROMANCE
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THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN GIRL A ROMANCE
BOOK I
CHAPTER I
AN OLD HOUSE AND ITS BACHELOR
When the knell of my thirtieth birthday sounded, I suddenly realised,
with a desolate feeling at the heart, that I was alone in the world. It was
true I had many and good friends, and I was blessed with interests and
occupations which I had often declared sufficient to satisfy any not too
exacting human being. Moreover, a small but sufficient competency was
mine, allowing me reasonable comforts, and the luxuries of a small but
choice library, and a small but choice garden. These heavenly blessings
had seemed mere than enough for nearly five years, during which the good
sister and I had kept house together, leading a life of tranquil happy days.
Friends and books and flowers! It was, we said, a good world, and I,
simpleton,--pretty and dainty as Margaret was,--deemed it would go on
forever. But, alas! one day came a Faust into our garden,--a good Faust,
with no friend Mephistopheles,--and took Margaret from me. It is but a
month since they were married, and the rice still lingers in the crevices of
the pathway down to the quaint old iron-work gate. Yes! they have gone
off to spend their honeymoon, and Margaret has written to me twice to say
how happy they are together in the Hesperides. Dear happiness!
Selfish, indeed, were he who would envy you one petal of that wonderful
rose--Rosa Mundi--God has given you to gather.
But, all the same, the reader will admit that it must be lonely for me,
and not another sister left to take pity on me, all somewhere happily
se