The Widowed Bride — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

96 THE WIDOWED BRIDE. CHAPTER XIII. THE HAUNTED TOWER. ‘Blanche! Blanche! are you up yet?” | ‘“T haven’t even thought of such a thing,” answered a _ drowsy voice from Lady Blanche Arden’s pillows. — ‘It’s so delightful not to be roused by the clang of that hideous school-bell, but to le in bed just as long as one wishes. Come in, Rena, and tell me what has made you rise with the robins.” And she threw her arms affectionately around the neck of the beautiful young girl who stood there in her white wrap- per and blue’-ribbons, as fresh as the glowing summer morning’s self, : “Curiosity, I suppose,” said Rena, returning the caress with interest; ‘“‘though, by the way, your ornithological knowledge—Miss ‘Trowbridge isn’t here to correct me, if I make a mistake in pronouncing the big words—is in error. The robins have been up warbling their little hearts out, ay, and the larks and thrushes, too, these four hours.” ‘What do you mean by curiosity?” asked Lady Blanche, sitting up in bed, and ringing the bell for her attendant. “‘Didn’t you promise last night, you forgetful Blanche, that you would take me all over the Castle to-day, and show me the marvels thereof, including the family ghost?” ‘‘But I didn’t say before breakfast; and besides,” added Blanche, gravely, ‘“‘the family ghost, if there is one, never gets up until everybody else has gone to bed!” Tf?’ cried Rena; ‘‘as if there could be any doubt on the subject. Every respectable old family in Englandought to have a ghost! Come, Blanche, don’t be lazy; remember what a pitch my expectations are wrought up to!” f ‘TI shall have to send for Dame Wadesleigh and-the keys,” said Blanche, doubtfully. ‘‘I don’t think I could find the way through all the corridors in the towers myself unless I had a compass along.” ‘Send for her then, at once!” And Lady Blanche found herself borne resistlessly along in the current of Rena Percival’s ardor and determination. Mrs. Wadesleigh, who was deep in the mysteries of pre- *comicbooks.com