The Widowed Bride — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. 131 ing a convenience to your mother. Lady Glenhampton, I shall be delighted to be of any service. ‘*You are very kind,” said the countess, in the same artificial tone. ‘‘If you will be so kind as to ring for Lady Blanche’ s maid we can give all the necessary directions at once.” Rena obeyed, moving with the slow haughtiness of a princess. If she could at that moment have obeyed the tumultuous dictates of her own heart she would have struck the smiling, insolent countess to the ground. “She is making an upper-servant of me,” she thought, biting her lip until the blood started, ‘‘and Blanche, i in her unconsciousness, never suspects 1t. You are deepening my indebtedness to you with every hour, Countess of Glenhamp- ton, but the day of reckoning will surely come!’ And she resolutely put aside her own resentment while she assisted Blanche with the numerous and hurried prepa- rations that were incident to her unexpected journey. ‘Dear Rena,” said the young girl, with her arms round her friend’s neck, ‘‘you will come to us at Brighton if I do not soon return?” ‘‘How can I tell, Blanche?” asked Rena, evasively. ‘‘My future is not in my own hands. But one thing I won't forget—my promise one day to be your bridesmaid.” The paleness crept over Blanche’s cheek, and her arms dropped languidly at her side. ‘‘T see now how foolish they were, our school-day vows and promises,’ she said, in a lowtone. “I do not think, now, that I shall ever need a bridesmaid, Rena.” ‘Blanche, you are not so ill as that!” No, it isn’t that, Rena—but, somehow, I don’t think Vere cares for me as he used to do, and Her head drooped on her friend’s shoulder, and she burst into a passionate fit of tears. At the same instant the door opened and Lady Glenhampton entered with a sealed letter in her hand. ‘““Miss Percival,” she said, severely, ‘‘it is very wrong of you 10 agitate Lady Blanche Arden in this manner. These tragic scenes may be very romantic, but they are quite in- appropriate to an occasion like this.” Rena sat pale and silent, saving not a word in her own defense, while Lady Blanche, dashing the newly shed tears from her eyes, broke out into a vindication of her friend, GEomichbooks.¢co