Gratia's Trials — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS, 165 where he was in treaty with a firm of Greek bankers. On his return he had stopped at one or two country houses whither his correspondence had been forwarded, with the exception of this single packet, which lay under a tin box at his London agents, peacefully accumulating cobwebs and dust. The latter epistles of course took for granted that the absent son and brother was acquainted with all the particulars mentioned in the former, and so to this minute Colonel Falconer was in ig- norance of the fact that Gratia had left his home. ‘*Tt couldn’t be possible, ” he argued within himself, ‘‘ that Ida has quarreled with Gratia. They were too similar in dis- position and temperament, too entirely devoted to each other. I cannot for an instant believe they could seriously differ. It is more probable by far that she has been driven away by the whims and caprices of my mother or Alberta, or possibly ”-— and his brow instinctively darkened as the hypothesis crossed his mind—‘‘ she has been annoyed by my brother Robert's ill- advised admiration. The girl is pretty enough to account for almost any such aberration. I never could have supposed she would have blossomed out into such rich, perfect beauty.” Thus meditating, Colonel Falconer reached the White Hart, at Cheyne Regis, and gave the landlady his card. ‘‘For Miss Kempfield,” he said. Mrs. Powell madean humble obeisance before the dignity of ‘one of the gentlemen from the Hall.” : ‘Ves, please, sir, it's Mrs. Pennilon’s governess, hain't it, sir? Please walk into the parlor.” In a few minutes Mrs. Powell returned. ‘‘ Please, sir, Miss Kempfield ain’t in.” ‘‘Not in? Are you sure?” ‘‘ Yes, sir, quite sure—she be out walking with one of the young gentlemen.” | Colonel Falconer looked at his watch ; it was just four minutes after five. Eomicbooks.co