Gratia's Trials — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

118 -GRATIA'S TRIALS. young wife-elect ; the latter felt that matters had changed alto- gether since the day she promised to be his wife. -Gratia was sitting in the drawing-room, arranging some flowers in a little moss basket for Ida, when the carriage con- taining her elderly lover drove up to the door. At the sound of his voice at the hall, a sudden tide of scarlet rushed to her cheeks, and she dropped a spray of wax-white tuberoses on the Carpet. ‘‘Oh, the beautiful flowers!” cried Ida, stooping to recover them ; and when she placed them in Gratia’s hand, she was calm and collected once more. ‘* How awkward I am!” she said, with a faint smile. ‘‘Tam sure you have an excellent excuse,” said Alberta, with a sweet, shallow laugh, intended to be the very quint- essence of archness. ‘‘ However, if you will not go down to meet Uncle Ralph, I will do my best to make amends for your omission,” And she tripped down stairs, and welcomed him with osten- tatious affection. ‘* How is Gratia?” was his first question. ; ‘“She is quite well, dear uncle, considering the journey a has taken during your absence,” Alberta answered. ‘A journey? Gratia?”’ ‘“Yes. Oh, uncle, I have so much to tell you about Gratia.” ‘‘ Let it be after I have rested a little, and had a cup of ae fee,” said Mr. Miller, somewhat peremptorily. ‘‘I have trav- eled nine hours without stopping. Scipio, see that my things are sent at once to my room,” : Alberta Felconer felt herself baffled for the nonce, but she was determined not to be repulsed. i will have an audience with my uncle yet before he sees her,” she inwardly resolved. And she waited patiently, curled upon the sofa with a book: directly under the gas-light that burned on the left hand side a» in >= comicbooks.co