Gratia's Trials — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. 105 maam,~ said Scipio, importantly. ‘‘Jane, she done took up de chocolate and briled chicken half an hour ago,” Alberta looked at her mother. ‘So she has begun to put on airs already,” she said, con- temptuously, quite regardless of the presence of Scipio, who stood solemnly behind the elderly lady’s chair. ‘‘ There will be no living in the house with her after another month.” ““Tt cannot be helped,” said Mrs. Falconer, dejectedly. ‘‘Atall events,” said Alberta, rising, ‘‘I shall take the liberty to intrude upon her solitude.” She swept out of the room, and hurried up stairs, tapping softly at the panels of Gratia’s door. ‘Come in,” was the response, and she entered. But when she saw Gratia standing in the middle of the room, dressed in a plain black silk suit, with a waterproof cloak en- veloping her whole person, she could not but start back, with all the civilly cutting speeches she had intended to make quite driven out of her head. ‘You are going away?” she cried. ‘«Yes,” was the briefly spoken reply. ‘¢ Where ?” ‘©To visit a friend,” Gratia answered, after a moment’s hesi- tation. Alberta bit her lip ; she felt the implied reserve. ‘* Does my uncle know of this?” ‘*Whether he does or not will not affect my purpose,” Gra-_ tia replied, coldly. A polite way of telling me that it is none of my business,” said Alberta, with a forced laugh. ‘‘ But I only came up to express my hopes that illness was not the cause of your absence _ this morning from table.” ‘“T preferred to breakfast in my room,” said Gratia, evasively. ‘‘T am going out shopping this morning,” went on Alberta. ‘Ts there anything I can have the pleasure of doing for you?” ‘‘ Nothing, I thank you.” (eon alirel exeKo <S (E(0) m