Stella Rosevelt — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

364 A CRUSHING BLOW. ‘Tt seems as if that girl was bound to be the ruination of us. They are continually crossing our path, and I declare it is more than human nature can patiently bear. I wonder what has brought them to England ?” “IT suppose Uncle Jacob thinks he must give his charming protegee every advantage possible,” Josephine sneered, bitterly. ‘“<Well, I’m sure we do not need to mind them now,” Mrs, Richards said, with a sigh of satisfaction. ‘‘ Even if she gets every penny of his money, your position will henceforth be far superior to hers.” ‘<T don’t know about that,” the girl retorted, with a painful flush. ‘‘If Lord Carrol meets her, and they make up their quarrel, I shall still be rather in the background, I imagine.” “True; I had not thought of that,’ her mother replied, with a blank look. ‘‘I wish you could have managed to entrap him, Jo.” ‘‘Jo” bit her lips until the blood spurted from them, as she remembered how her ‘‘trap” had sprung and wounded only herself. ‘‘Lord Carrol is a fool/” she said, passionately. Her mother looked up at her searchingly, mistrusting that her daughter had more reason for her pale face and heavy eyes than she knew of. ‘Tf only that marriage last night could have been a real one, I should have been the happiest woman in England this morn- ing,” she said, wistfully. ‘‘With one exception,” Josephine thought, witha bitter sigh and a hard glitter in her eyes; but she said nothing. : They did not leave Sherbrooke House that day, however. A sudden storm. came on during the afternoon, too violent to admit of the departure of any one, and Lady Sherbrooke would — not allow any of her guests to mention such athing. And so the long, dreary day was spent in rest and quiet. But the next day broke bright and pleasant, and just as the (E(@) so ecomicbooks