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Walpole, Hugh, Sir, 1884-1941

"The Captives"

One of the most interesting human beings whom he had
ever met, simply because she was utterly unlike any one else. He
felt shame before her, because he knew that she would believe every
word that he said. In that she was simple, but "he would be bothered
if she was simple in anything else." She had made up her mind--he
knew it as well as though she had told him--to trust him absolutely,
and he knew well enough how little he was to be trusted. And because
of that faith and because of that trust he felt that she was more
reliable than he could have believed that changing fickle human
being would ever be. How secure he might feel with her!
Then, as he thought that, he realised how troubled he was about his
life at home during the last weeks. Amy hated him, his mother hid
herself from him, and his father's love frightened him. Already he
had found himself telling lies to avoid the chapel services and the
meetings with Thurston and the rest. His father's love for him had
something terrible in it, and, although he returned it, he could not
live up to that fire and heat.
No; he saw that he would not be able to remain for long at home.


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