The Widowed Bride — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. pies young adventuress to defy her after all, and with the wea- pons of her own children’s love? “‘Hrnest,” she said, ‘“‘you are surely not serious in what you said just now?” : ‘“‘Never was more serious in my life,” said the young -dragoon; stormily twisting his mustaches as if he were deter- mined to pluck-them out by the roots. ‘Will you tell me what it is to you?” fiercely gasped the countess, ‘‘whether this girl returns to her native sphere, or continues to brazen it out here in a position in which she has shown that she does not know how to comport herself decently?” “It’s so much to me that I don’t mean to stand here like a white-livered hound and hear her abused!” returned Cap- tain Evelyn, hotly. ‘‘I respect and admire her more than I can find any words to tell, and, though you were my mother fifty times over, | would not allow you to treat her in any - way save that in which the highest lady of the land should be treated. Now you’ye got my opinion, and I hope you are satisfied.” He looked with a dogged determination at his mother as he spoke, and Rena Percival lifted her exultant eyes ina sort of triumphant defiance to her high-born enemy at the same moment, ‘Shall I go or stay?” she asked, speaking to the Countess of Glenhampton, but looking at Blanche and Ernest. “Stay!” they both repeated, in one breath, and Lady Glenhampton’s arms fell helplessly by her side, while a sharp pang, like that which mortally wounded people feel, seemed to transfix her breast. - “Shall I go or stay?” she repeated, looking Lady Glen- hampton this time full in the face. ‘‘I will only accept my verdict from your lips.” — Stay!’ Lady Glenhampton murmured, but the word was wrung from the very bitterness of her heart. Rena Percival had won the victory! Lady Glenhampton’s own children, for whom she had done and dared, and suf- fered so much, sided with this bold, beautiful stranger against her! GOmIicboo <S €O m