Gratia's Trials — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

152 GRATIA’S TRIALS. The pen dropped from madame’s fingers—she drew back in- stinctively. | ‘You will not do for me,” she said, regarding Gratia with the horror wherewith one views a venomous reptile. ‘‘Why not, Madame Sainter ?” ‘‘T made a mourning hat for Mrs, Falconer last week, and she told me all about it. You will not do for me,” reiterated madame, still holding back her skirts, as if fearing lest they should come in contact with Gratia’s plain linsey dress. ‘«What did they tell you?” asked Gratia, feeling herself turn sick and cold. J don’t want a discussion,” said madame. ‘‘I suppose I have a right to employ or not to employ whom I please.” The next opportunity seemed more promising. It was one which Gratia had caught a glimpse of through the advertising colums of a morning newspaper—the situation of companion to an elderly lady. The address was in a quiet, old-fashioned street, where the very cart-wheels had a sleepy, respectable sound as they bumped over the paving-stcnes. Mrs. Osard was the lady who had advertised—a fat, cozy, white-haired matron in spectacles and black satin, who was very deaf, very quiet, and very much addicted to wanting the newspapers read to her every day and all day. “You've got a good, clear voice, child!” she said, with one hand to her ear, as Gratia shouted out her claims to considera- tion, ‘‘and you don’t run your words together, as half of ‘em do. Ilike that. Do you like reading aloud ?” Gratia said she did—she would almost have answered ‘‘ yes” if Mrs, Osard had asked her if she liked gathering nettles or being broiled on a gridiron. ‘Ves, yes, that’s good,” said the old lady, nodding her head until the silver curls on either side of her temples nodded too. “I’m not very exacting—all I want of you is too read to me, mend my laces, and look a little bit after the housekeeping— servants need a mistress’ eye over them all the time nowadays— tn ie | aie : é comicbooks.com —