Her Faithful Knight — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

Aylmer’s Household. 275 ice was cut a little open at the collar ; Dorothy’s throat was round and full and of a creamy fairness. On her neck the small face buoyant, Like a bell-flower o’er its bed. The lines came more than once into Aylmer’s mind as he watched her across the table playing with her food, for she was far too much excited and too anxious to eat. Toward the end of dinner a diversion came, the possi- bility of which Aylmer had overlooked. Through the thick outside air the shrill voice of a boy crying out the names and contents of the evening paper penetrated faintly to the room where they were sitting. Aylmer grew suddenly pale and glanced at Dorothy. “IT hope that tiresome boy won’t forget my Evening Standard, as he did the night before last,” Mrs. Read ob- served. “I’m so much interested in that Croydon breach of promise case which is on to-day.” After dinner every evening, as Aylmer remembered with a thrill of apprehension, Rosa read aloud the day’s news to her mother while the latter knitted and dozed. Would the later editions have any report of the story which would be made public on the morrow? He was not left long in suspense. In a few seconds a ring at the front door bell preceded the entrance of the parlor maid, bringing, as was her wont, a copy of the Evening Standard to Mrs. Read, who laid it by her side until dinner was finished, and then took it witl. her to the drawing room. “Do you mind if Rosa reads the news aloud to me, my dear?” she asked of Dorothy. The supposed Mrs. Ransome had sunk on a cushion by the fire, and was smoothing the fur of the Persian cat. Her face was turned away from Mrs. Read and in the Comicsoo S (E(@) m =>