Gratia's Trials — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. 169 fearfully. I will lie down for a little while and perhaps [ shall feel better.” When the next morning dawned she was unable to lift her throbbing head from her pillow. ‘*T hope you aren’t going to be sick, miss,” the kind-hearted landlady said, as she brought a cup of coffee to Gratia’s bed- side, ‘Oh, no, only my head aches a little,” Gratia answered, wearily. ‘‘ Thanks, but I could not swallow anything.” ‘*Only just a drop, miss,” pleaded Mrs. Powell. ‘‘It’ll do ye a power of good. There’s nothing like good, strong coffee to cure a headache. I’ve done my very best to stop them halla- ballowin’ boys gallopin’ up and down the hall past your door, but it’s a rainy morning, and they can’t go out doors to play, and you'd think that Mrs. Pennilon hadnt no narves o’ her own, not to speak o’ other people's.” ‘‘Let them play—they do not disturb me,” said Gratia, drinking a little of the flavorless draught to. pacify the well- meaning Jandlady. ‘‘ Perhaps I can sleep a little while longer, and then I shall feel better.” And Mrs. Powell tiptoed out of the room, secretly wrathful at Mrs. Pennelon’s lack of what she called ‘‘ nateral feelin’.” At eleven, punctual to the stroke of the clock, Colonel Fal- coner presented himself, through all the pouring sheets of rain, at the White Hart. Mrs. Pennilon, who had her eye on the strip of road visible from the front window, ever since break- fast, was in the parlor as he entered, sitting straight and stiff, with folded hands, and a countenance expressive of unutterable things. : ‘‘Can I have the pleasure of seeing Miss Kempfield this morning?” the gentleman asked, politely, after acknowledging Mrs. Pennilon’s presence by a bow, and a few words of matter- of-course greeting. ‘‘T have dismissed Miss Kempfield from my service,” Mrs. / Eomicbooks.«co