The Widowed Bride — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. here Eds ‘‘You know better than to ask that question,” said Blanche, reproachfully. ‘It was nothing but a jest—but I do not comprehend how you could ever have had the cour- age.” “By Jove! it’s the pluckiest thing I ever heard of!” cried Captain Evelyn, pulling his long mustaches and looking tri- umphantly round, as if he were delighted at Rena’s prowess. “So you cheated ’em all, did you? Why, it’s as good as half — the things one sees in the newspapers.” ‘It was foolish,” said Rena, in a voice that was plaintively sweet, ‘‘and I have regretted it since; but 3 “Foolish!” echoed Lady Glenhampton, severely; ‘‘I should think as much! Foolish is no word to express it—it is dis- graceful, criminal, outrageous! A girl who can thus set truth and decorum doubly at defiance is no fit companion for the Karl of Glenhampton’s daughter!” ‘“‘Nay, Lady Glenhampton,” interposed Lord Balfour, *‘vou are too severe upon what was, after all, a mere girlish | freak. Miss Percival has scarcely deserved so rigid a judg- ment.” | Lady Glenhampton bit her lower lip until the white rows of teeth nearly met—but Lord Balfour’s kindly-meant inter- cession restored her to something lke outward composure. She reseated herself once more, with an artificial smile, and without another glance toward Rena Percival began to ques- tion him concerning his mother the duchess, and to converse on various topics of current interest. But while Lord Balfour talked he never ceased to watch the beautiful face of the fair young culprit, whose pretty SrOOpInE alr of penitence amused as well as. fascinated im. : “‘T suppose I ought to be angry with her for so elaborately and systematically deceiving us,” he thought, ‘‘but I cannot, for the life of me, think of anything but a pretty child who has been naughty, and promises, with tears in his eyes, ‘never to do so again!’ ” | _ And when he finally took his leave he held Rena’s hand with a gently significant pressure in his own, as he said: ‘Although Lady Blanche Arden seems miraculously to have lost her identity, I hope I may still number Miss Per- cival among the list of my friends!” __ She answered him only bya mute, pleading look, but that Gomicbooks €o am