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THE PEST
The Pest
BY
W. TEIGNMOUTH SHORE
AUTHOR OF “THE TALKING MASTER,” “EGOMET,” ETC., AND
PART AUTHOR OF “THE FRUIT OF THE TREE”
NEW YORK
C. H. DOSCHER & CO.
1909
Copyright, 1909, by
C. H. DOSCHER & CO.
The Pest
CHAPTER I
Pavements and roadway slippery with greasy,black mud; atmosphere yellow with evil-tastingvapor; a November afternoon in London; eveningdrawing on, fog closing down.
George Maddison, tall, erect, dark, walkedslowly along, his eyes, ever ready to seize uponany striking effect of color, noting the curiousmingling of lights: the dull yellow overhead, thechilly beams of the street lamps, the glow andwarmth from the shop windows. Few of the faceshe saw were cheerful, almost all wearing thatexpression of discontent which such dreary circumstancesbring to even the most hardened andexperienced Cockneys. For his own part he waswell pleased, having heard that morning of hiselection as an Associate of the Royal Academy, afact that gratified him not as adding anything tohis repute, but as being a compliment to the schoolof young painters of which he was the acknowledgedleader and ornament: impressionists whoseimpressions showed the world to be beautiful;idealists who had the imagination to see that theideal is but the better part of the real.
Maddison paused before a highly lighted picture-dealer’swindow, glanci