Gratia's Trials — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

148 GRATIA’S TRIALS, Almost at the same moment there was a tap on the door, and a light, halting step on the threshold. ‘<Come back, miss,” cried the voice of Joanna, subdued to a tone below its natural pitch. ‘‘It’s against your grandmama’s express orders ; it’s as much as my place is worth to let you in there. ” ‘‘T don’t caare,” uttered the voice of Ida. “‘I wll go to her !” | And the next moment her arms were round her adopted sister's neck, her velvet cheek pressed close to Gratia’s hot fore- - head. ‘Don’t cry, Gratia,” she sobbed, her own eyelashes wet with fast flowing tears. ‘‘Z love you, Gratia. ‘The whole world sha’n’t make me believe you guilty.” The sweet, trusting child’s cries reached a yet sentient chord in the fast benumbing heart; ‘‘T thank you for those words, Ida,” said the young girl. ‘‘T shall remember them always, wherever I may go.” ‘¢ You will not leave me, Gratia ?” ‘‘T must, dear Ida.” ‘*But you promised papa you would always be my sister— always!” cried Ida, tightning her grasp round Gratia with an apprehensive movement. ‘‘ Your father never could have foreseen the circumstances in which I am _ placed,” Gratia replied, sorrowfully. ‘‘ Your grandmother herself has turned me out of doors,” ‘¢ But it isnot grandmamma’s house. ” ‘Ves, it is-—zow, Ida.” The little girl was silent ; she felt the force of Gratia’s words. ‘‘But you promised,” she reiterated, amid her sobs; ‘‘ you promised.” ‘‘T cannot help that, Ida ;” and Gratia, reaching a crimson velvet case from her dressing-bureau, opened it, disclosing a superb set of large and lustrous pearls—necklace, bracelets, brooch, and ear-pendants. ‘‘See, dearest !” comiecbooks.com —