{"product_id":"2940013668744","title":"The Road (The Ten Commandments)","description":"Bonthorn closed the gate.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a little white gate set deep in the dark recess of a very\u003cbr\u003eold holly hedge, and the opening in which it swung was like a\u003cbr\u003etunnel cut through a city wall.  Bonthorn paused in the shadow, and\u003cbr\u003ewith his back to the gate looked at something which appeared to\u003cbr\u003eplease him.  His one very deep-blue eye filled with the light of a\u003cbr\u003esmile.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe saw a big cherry tree in bloom and under it a carpet of vivid\u003cbr\u003egrass, and on the grass Rollo, his brown Cairn, playing with a\u003cbr\u003esmall black kitten.  They were beautiful to watch on that beautiful\u003cbr\u003eday in May, and to Nicholas Bonthorn the secret of life was beauty.\u003cbr\u003eThe soul of The Unknown Artist was the soul of his God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMartha came out of the green porch carrying the wickerwork table\u003cbr\u003epressed against her stout bust.  She was one of those solid women\u003cbr\u003ewho seem to absorb comfort and satisfaction from the inevitableness\u003cbr\u003eof habit.  Her black eyebrows were as decisive as her mouth.  If\u003cbr\u003eMr. Bonthorn chose to be an oddity, she accepted his oddness\u003cbr\u003ebecause it had a reasonable and sweet quality.  She allowed him\u003cbr\u003egenius of a sort, which was infinite and sympathetic condescension.\u003cbr\u003eShe allowed him tea in the garden on Sunday when the weather was as\u003cbr\u003ereasonable as her workaday soul.  She would have allowed him\u003cbr\u003eanything that a sensible woman of five and fifty can allow a man\u003cbr\u003ewho can sprawl on the grass like a boy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Mr. Bonthorn was lying flat on his chest playing with those two\u003cbr\u003eyoung animals.  That was the sort of game that was pleasant to\u003cbr\u003ewatch, the six-foot man with his intense, brown face, and one very\u003cbr\u003eblue eye balanced by the black patch over the other socket, rolling\u003cbr\u003ethose two furry little creatures over and over on the grass.  Mrs.\u003cbr\u003eMartha might wonder about things, but she did not ask bathotic\u003cbr\u003equestions.  She may have wondered why the ex-soldier had never\u003cbr\u003emounted a glass eye, but she had never asked him for reasons.  He\u003cbr\u003ewas sufficiently himself to satisfy her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMartha laid the table under the cherry tree.  The kitten, in a\u003cbr\u003esudden access of energy and joy, shot up the trunk of the tree with\u003cbr\u003ehair erect and all claws spread.  The dog, as though comprehending\u003cbr\u003ethat joyous, furry fury, stood bearded and with ears erect, barking\u003cbr\u003eapplause.  Mr. Bonthorn took his floppy old hat off and threw it to\u003cbr\u003ethe dog.  Rollo commenced a furious conflict with the hat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMartha regarded them with beneficence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You'll spoil that dog, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe one blue eye rallied her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Never do it yourself, do you, Martha?  What about that sacred\u003cbr\u003egarment you let him whisk off into the currant bushes?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"That was what--in a manner of speaking--might be called an act of\u003cbr\u003eGod, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Or an act of dog.  I bet you sat up mending it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But hats, Mr. Bonthorn.  It's the only decent one--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"True.  Here--you young devil, deliver up that hat.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo Bonthorn, tea out of doors somehow retained the spell of\u003cbr\u003eadventure, especially with the bees busy in the cherry blossom and\u003cbr\u003ethe black kitten lapping milk.  Martha gave him buttered scones and\u003cbr\u003ehomemade cake.","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47070190469360,"sku":"2940013668744","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013668744","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}