Guy Earlscourt's Wife — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ART SECONL. CHAPTER T. AFTER VOURTEEN — YEARS. *And it will be the most splendid thing ever seen in Speck: haven, Rosanna! figure to yourself yards and yards of Chinese lanterns sparkling through the trees, plashing foun- tains, and the divine musie of Holmesdale’s military brass band! Faney the long tables groaning—that’s the word - groaning under the roast beef of old England, and foaming flagons of ale! Fancy flags flying, and bells ringing, and everybody eating and drinking , and making merry, and your little Polly sharing the glories of the hour with the Honor- able Guy Paget Earlscourt, second and favorite son of Lord Montolien, of Montahen Priory, Lineolnshire.” “Polly !” “Well, I mean as the prettiest girl at the feast. And Tin quite determined to go, Rosanna, so iron my white muslin | dress, like a dear old love, and say no more. about it.” The spirited speakcr of this oration stood in the middle of the floor, a tall slip of a girl, with a slim waist, sunburned hands, and a clear, ringing, sweet, young voice. The pre'- tiest sight on ear a fair, Joyous, healthy girl of sixteen. It was high noon of a delicious June day, and she stood in a burst of sunshine that flooded the little parlor, that flashei = in her short, auburn curls, and sparkled back from her joy: ous eyes. Fourteen years ago you saw her a lovely baby, and now she is an “English miss” of sixteen. And has the = baby beauty fnlly kept its promise in the girl? Well, first glance you might be inelined to say no. Crop the flow ing locks of the Venus Anadyomene, give her a sunburned complexion, and a smudge of dirt on her nose, put her in a torn dress, and what becomes of your goddess but a good: looking young woman with a pair of fine eyes? Polly labors under all those disadvantages at present, after her nice, dusty walk through the blazing noonday sun; but in spite of the smudge on her nose, it 18-a very pretty nose, perfeet 1 shape and chiseling. ‘The mouth may be a trifle larger than a rosebud, perhaps, but it is a handsome mouth, with that square cut at the corners, which makes a mouth at once re ves wo tel MY “comicbooks.com Nee