The Widowed Bride — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

146 [HE WIDOWED BRIDE last courteous speech angered Lady Glenhampton more deeply, if it were possible, than all that had gone before. ‘‘Miss Percival,” she said, with freezing hauteur, when the door had safely closed behind Lord Balfour, ‘‘you will of course perceive that this audacious piece of impertinence on your part must part us at once and forever. I have en- dured much from you already, but I never imagined you could be so lost to all sense of propriety as you have proved since our departure for Brighton. You will leave this house to-morrow morning. My carriage shall convey you to Hart- ford Lodge, for although you have forfeited all claim to my consideration, I would not willingly turn you into the streets!” Rena sank back on the low chair from which she had risen to bid the Marquis of Balfour farewell. “Lady Glenhampton,” she said, the pearl-bright tears trickling from between the fingers with which she covered _ her deadly pale face, “‘I am homeless and friendless—you have the power to insult me as you will!” “By Jove, but she hasn’t, though?” cried Captain Evelyn, stepping boldly into the br each. ‘<1, for one, will not stand tamely by and hear you called names, even by my own mother. If the carriage takes you away to-morrow,’ I’ll be hanged if it doesn’t take me, too, and I swear Vl never cross this threshold again!” And he looked as if he were fully in earnest. Blanche, too, had advanced to Rena’s side, and taken her head upon her bosom. ‘‘Not friendless, dear, as long as you have me by your side,” she murmured, softly. “Rena, they shall not part me from ycu, the dearest companion I ever had! Mamma,” she added, looking resolutely up, ‘if Rena goes back to Hartford Lodge I shall accompany her thither. She shall not go alone! ‘The eternal friendship we have vowed to each other would be worth but little if [ were to desert her now.” “But, Blanche, she has deceived you—she has taken your very name shamelessly on herself.” : ‘Because she knew I would cheerfully sive her that, as well as anything else I have in the world,’ * Blanche rejoined. ‘“Mamma, | am like Lord Balfour—I do not see that she has done anything so very terrible, after all.” Lady Glenhampton stood there, impotent and helpless 3 in her rage as a chained tigress, Was this bold, beautiful = comicbooks (E(0)