Guy Earlscourt's Wife — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

&° Monta. 22 Priory, certair. tastes. Alice was your very ideal of a rustic beauty —plump—rosy—dimpled—a skin mulk white and rose pink— white teeth, light-blue eyes, and abundant, nut-brown tresses. “Tfow nice your white muslin makes up!” Miss Warren re- marked, with an admiring glance. “Rosanna’s such a laun- dress. Ob, Pouy!’ with a sudden change of tone, “I’ve got such a secret to tell you! Guess who came home with me from Speckhaven last night ?”’ “Peter Jenkins,” Polly hazarded. Peter JenKins was a miller, and a very worthy young man, who had been “keeping company” with Miss Warren during the past twelve months. “Peter Jenkins!” retorted the bailiff’s pretty daughter, with what, in a heroine, would have been a tone of ineffable scorn. “No, indeed! Polly, you’ll never tell, now will you?” Polly protested. “Well, then, it was Mr. Francis Earlscourt, the Honorable Frane's Earlseourt!’ said Miss Warren, her whole face one glow of triumph. “Alice! Mr. Francis! But I thought they only came down this morning.” —_, | “Tle came last night, and it was almost dark, you know, _ Petly; starlight, and that, and I was all alone, and he came up to me and spoke, and I knew him at once, and he remem- bered me, too, though he hasn’t seen me for four years. And, Polly, he offered me his arm, and I was afraid to refuse, and afraid to take it, ‘and. he talked all the way, and I declare, I hadn’t a word to say.” “a “What did he talk about? Did he talk like Clive New- he) come or Ivanhoe, and, oh, Alice, is he handsome 2” “T don’t know what he talked about—my heart was in my ie mouth, I tell you, Polly. He said it was a beautiful even- “ ing, and that he liked the country, and he told me I had Be. srown tall and—and prettier than ever,” saic Alice, blush- Bs ing. “And I think him handsome; he’s tall and thin, and me wears a mustache; and has the softest voice and hands, - “Head, perhaps!” said Polly, irreverently. “I wish T had ae been in your place, I’d have talked to him,. and if my heart eo rot into my mouth I’d have swallowed it! You’ll introduce % him to me, won’t you, Alice? I should like him to ask me to a “Oh, Tm sure I don’t know,” responded Alice, with q syid- ig den cooling off manner, and a sudden recollection that some %@ people thought Polly Mason quite as goed looking as herself. ‘ “T shouldn’t like to make so free es that, you know. It’s ali very well if they take notice of us, but it wouldn’t do for us ’ 7 ~ comicbooks.com