The Widowed Bride — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

ie oe THE WIDOWED BRIDE. fand dine at one o’clock, so you see you have not much time to spare.” And she withdrew with the three little girls in her train, while in the hall Alice could hear Phebe’s bird-voice chirp- ing: — £*Oh, mamma, I love her so much, low tone replying: ‘See that you show it then by being very attentive to your lessons and obedient.” This was an auspicious beginning for Alice in her new position, and at the close of the dinner she felt that Phebe’s favorable impression concerning her was shared by the rec- tor and his wife. So courteous, so amiable were they in their intercourse with the little governess that ere she had passed twenty-four hours in the rectory of Tregarvan, her admiration for its inmates found expression in a letter which she indited to her sister Rena. ‘This letter she gave to the rector, asking him if he would not oblige her by sending it to the post-office. The rector glanced at the superscription, written in Alice’s ?” and Mrs. Eskett’s delicate, legible running hand: ‘‘Miss Rena Percival, Glen- — hampton Castle, Glenhampton, Kent,” and he started as if the visage of some old familiar friend had stared him sud- denly in the face. “Glenhampton Castle! Glenhampton!” he repeated. ‘‘Is your sister there, Miss Percival? Upon my word this is a — very singular coincidence—very! Glenhampton Castle, my dear ‘heresa—you remember!” ‘‘T remember that you did curate’s duty there one year, when you were first engaged to me,” said his wife, good humoredly; ‘‘and that I thought his lordship ought to have bestowed the St. Hilda’s living upon you when the fat old incumbent died, seeing that he always professed to be such a friend of yours.” “Gently, Theresa, gently,” said Mr. Eskett. ‘§ ‘Remem- ber that it is not always the richest ving in which one can do the most good. I have never seen any real reason to re- gret that I came to Tregarvan, instead of settling down at St. Hilda’s. And are you acquainted with these Glenhamp- tons, my dear?” he asked, turning to Alice. | “T know Lady Blanche Arden, the Earl of Glenhamp- fon's daughter,” Alice answered; ‘‘she was at school with , s : ra is j : ; al ¢ . Ls r : KK by ad 2 ‘ “y % “nee aa i ‘ amet” gh : .*, we * ‘es . : : \ a he J ’ Sle. oo eee ne yy ee ae Poe! a ’ ben! eee ee et ey ee eee Caines (ale) mn G 3,00 KS ) .-