Gratia's Trials — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

170 GRATIA’S TRIALS. Pennilon answered, fixing her eyes hard upon one particular green leaf in the carpet pattern. “Dismissed her?” Colonel Falconer’s eyes flashed. “For what reason, may I ask ?” ‘‘T do not feel called upon to render a reason to any one that may ask me,” said Mrs. Pennilon; ‘‘but I have no objection to telling you, sir, since you ask me, that it is because I do not approve of her paeeing up gentlemen acquaintances upon such very short notice.” =~ Hugo Falconer bit his lip to restrain the cutting words he would like to have spoken. | ‘‘Do you happen to know, madam,” he said, striving for outward self-control, ‘‘ how long we have known each other ?” ‘«No, sir, I do not; nor do I wish to know.” ‘‘Where is she?’ asked Falconer. ‘‘I prefer to give no information on the subject.” Colonel Falconer looked at her. If she had only been a man, how much gratification it would have afforded him to have knocked her down. But being a woman, he was debarred from that privilege. | ‘“Ts she still with you ?” ‘‘T told you that I had dismissed her, sir,” tartly enunciated Mrs. Pennilon. ‘*Ts she in this house ?” ‘‘No,” Mrs. Pennilon answered, laying to her conscience by way of salvo, the fact that the apartment her quondam gOv- erness occupied was not actually in the building where they were, but formed part of a sort of wing running out toward the _ Stable-yard. ‘«'Then she has gone to London ?” Mrs. Penmilon neither assented or dissented as he spoke ; she simply stared harder than ever at the pattern of the carpet. He took up his hat. ‘That you are clearly misapprehending this whole matter, madam, is sufficiently evident to me,” hesaid, “‘ Perhaps your im Gomicbooks ee