Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

~ MRS. BREVORT’S RECEPTION. — PES was measuring him by her estimate of Geoffrey Huntress. It nettled him exceedingly, for he was only too con- scious of hi. own inferiority. ‘Well, Miss Huntress, are you, like many others, try- ing to solve within yourself the mystery of my resem. blance to your cousin, that you observe me so closely,” he asked, with an amused smile, upon finding her gaze riveted upon bis face instead of the picture before which they were standing. Gladys blushed slightly. ‘‘I shall have to plead guilty, Mr. Mapleson,” she con- fessed. “I trust you will excuse me if I have appeared rude, but, really, to me it seems the strangest thing im- aginable.” “It is, indeed,” he said, and added to himself: “and dusedly uncomfortable to me, too.” “T wonder if you are notin some way related,” Giadys said, musingiy, and more to herself than to him. Everet Mapleson’s face darkened. “iT do not think so,” he answered, curtly. “‘Heisa Northerner—I was born at the South. My father is a Southern gentleman, and has always resided near Rich- mon, Virginia, excepting during the war, when he was in the field or camp most of the time, and a year or two that he spent traveling in Europe.” Gladys was conscious of a slight feeling of resentment toward her companion during this speech. The emphasis which he had, perhaps unconsciously, expended upon his personal pronouns, and the fact of his father being a “Southern gentleman,” implied a sense of superiority which grated harshly upon her ear. “Ts your mother also a native of the South ?” she asked. “Oh, yes; and my mother is a most magnificent woman, too, Miss Huntress,” the young man returned, with a kindling face. Gadys’ heart softened a trifle toward him at this. If he loved his mother like that there must be some good in him, she thought. “ Have you brothers and sisters?” she inquired. “No, I am the only child. I was born within a year after my parents’ marriage, and there have been no other children.” ‘*‘Do you resemble your father or mother ?” “My father. My mother has often told me that [am very like what he was at my age; but there is a portrait of my grandfather Mapleson at home, which, but for the (E(0) MmiGcooo cS ( 3