Gratia's Trials — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

78 | GRATIA'S TRIALS. ‘¢T know what that means,” cried Ida, after a moment's grave consideration. ‘‘Uncle Bob told me. It’s one who takes a place that doesn’t belong to him. King Richard the Third, in my ‘Child’s History of England,’ was a usurper.” Mrs. Falconer did not reply, but the lesson was not lost on Gratia. She felt herself, through no fault of her own, placed in a false position, and the chain of circumstances galled her cruelly, ‘“Home, Server!” called out Mrs. Falconer, before they had half completed the proposed route. The coachman turned round on his box, with wide-open mouth. ‘‘T thought we was goin’ all the way. round, ma’am ?” ‘‘Home!” sharply repeated his mistress, and Server felt that there was to be no appeal from the decision. Mrs. Falconer watched for the home-coming of her son with more than ordinary anxiety that night, and when he came, arm- in-arm with Mr. Miller, she beckoned him into her room. “What's the matter?” he asked. ‘‘ Where is Ida?” ‘In her own room with Gratia. Hugo, I want to speak to you.” ‘“And I want to speak to you also, mother; but go on. | Ladies first, always. ” . ‘‘It's about that nurse-girl of Ida’s, Hugo. She is really too insolent and presuming to be tolerated.” ‘‘I do not think so, mother,” said Hugo Falconer, gravely. ‘To me she seems remarkably modest and: unassuming.” ‘To me, also,” said Mr. Miller, who sat by the window, smoking. . ‘She seems quite to have won the hearts of you gentlemen,” said Mrs. Falconer, bitterly. ‘‘Ida is very fond of her,” remarked Uncle Ralph. ““Tda is a spoiled child,” and then Mrs. Falconer proceeded to relate the occurrences of the afternoon. TCOMICHoOOKS. co