
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
In a modest, sun‑warmed boarding house for elderly women, the quiet routine of needlework and gossip is suddenly broken by the arrival of an unexpected summons. Drusilla Doane, a gentle yet solitary figure who has lived among the sisters for five years, is told that two gentlemen have asked to see her. The house erupts in whispered speculation, each resident offering a vivid, if contradictory, portrait of the strangers—a tall, thin man in a silk hat clutching a cane, and a short, rotund gentleman in an elegant gray vest. Their purpose remains a mystery, and the women’s curiosity quickly turns into a lively, if chaotic, chorus of stories and opinions.
Amid the clatter of yarn and the clink of crockery, Drusilla is thrust into the center of attention, forced to confront a past she has kept hidden. Listeners are invited to share the cramped, warm atmosphere of the parlour, feel the tension of whispered rumors, and wonder what the two visitors might want from a woman who has long lived under the radar. The opening offers a tender portrait of community, aging, and the sudden stir of intrigue that can awaken even the most settled lives.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (347K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Avinash Kothare, Tom Allen, Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines.
Release date
2004-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1877–1945
An American novelist and travel writer who spent much of her adult life in Asia, she wrote vivid popular books that introduced readers to women's lives in China, Japan, Egypt, and Turkey. Her work blends storytelling with firsthand observation and a strong curiosity about everyday life across cultures.
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