The Widowed Bride — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. 97 serving, down stairs, willingly delegated her duties to an upper servant, and changing her gingham gown for one of black stuff more suited to the dignity of a cicerone, possessed herself of an enormous kev basket, ‘and pr epared to attend | the young ladies on their journey of inspection. ‘lhere’s no place in the country so well worth seeing as Glenhampton Castle,”’ she said, complacently adjusting her frilled cap-borders, ‘‘and so the visitors all say, although my lady doesn’t like to have the castle shown when she is at home e ‘‘And thereby you miss many half crowns, I suppose?” said Lady Blanche. “You are wrong there, Lady Blanche,” said Mrs. Wade- sleigh, ‘“‘for your mamma is good enough to allow the pic- ture-gallery and the grand saloon and the conservatories to be thrown open to visitors every Tuesday and Friday.” “It’s very fortunate for us then that this is Saturday,” observed Lady Blanche, ‘‘as there is no knowing how many cockney tourists, or sight-seeing bridal couples we might encounter on the oreat stairway.” Mrs. Wadesleigh led the way through a marble paved court to the chapel, once used asa place of worship by the Glenhamptons of a century ago, but now merely an orna- mental accessory to the castle. ‘The young girls stood in __ silence, scarcely hearing Mrs. Wadesleigh’s voluble descrip- tions. Somehow the solemn influences of the spot checked their girlish mirth, and they were not sorry to be conducted into the tapestry-hung rooms adjoining, draped with em- -broideries, which still glowed brilhantly, though the fingers of the high-born dames who had wrought the silken buds and blossoms had long moldered into dust; the picture- gallery, with its floor of waxed oaken boards, and dome of white glass overhead; the library with its gothic cases filled with rare and costly volumes, and the frescoed ceilings, the work of an ancient artist of repute; and the series of recep- tion-rooms, by which the grand saloon was approached, were all visited, in their turn, and Mrs. Wadesleigh was about to proceed to the upper apartments of the castle when Rena interposed. ‘‘But the ghost! I haven’t seen the ghost yet?’ | ‘It’s the eastern tower as is said to be ’aunted, miss,” 3 said the housekeeper, whose language, generally correct and __ appropriate enough, invariably became confused as to ‘‘h’s” GOMmIcboo <S (Ele) mn