The Craze of Christina — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

24 The Craze of Christina. unused to ladies’ society and felt a little bewil- dered. ‘You see I was determined to be the first, the very first,’’ continued Mrs. Bruhen; “there will be others’’—at this moment the hall door- bell rang loudly; she frowned—‘‘several others, I make no doubt, but always remember that I was the first, and that nobody can impugn my motives, whatever may be said of other peo- ple’s; and if there is anything on earth I can do to help you in your lonely, solitary lifo, bear in mind always that there is nobody to whom you may more safely turn for assistance and sym- pathy—er—ahem’’—the words rapidly jumbled themselyes up together and ended in a cough, as the footman threw open the door and an- nounced loudly: ‘“Mrs. Hommaney.’ A stout lady in a very short black skirt, a felt hat with a draggled ostrich feather, pushed far back from her fringeless forehead, and a very red face, came pufling and panting into the room. She also stretched forth two hands, in very dirty gardening gloves, towards him and fell upon him with a torrent of breathless words: “You poor dear boy! left all by yourself in this dreadful place! I felt I must fly over to bs CONNIE KOO KSaEO)