The Widowed Bride — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

172 THE WIDOWED BRIDE filled my whole heart and soul for days and weeks past—the hope that you may one day become my wife. I know I am not half so good, and pure, and Imnocent as you are, dear- est, but I love you, and I will treasure you in my heart of hearts asfondly as if you were a queen. ‘Tell me, dear one, will you be my wife?” “Jf Iam worthy of you, Vere, yes.” . And as Lord Vere Temple pressed the kiss that sealed their betrothal upon her lips he felt, as many another young — lover has felt at such a time as this—that Heaven had given him a greater treasure by far than he had deserved. His infatuation for Miss Percival had been a sort of brief madness—he had almost forgotten it now, and was quite ready to wonder at himself as much as any disinterested ob- server could wonder at him. Little Lady Blanche was safe upon the throne of her conquest—no power could shake the allegiance of her lover now. ‘“‘And I may tell mamma?” she asked, looking with plead- ing happiness into the face of her tall wooer. “Tell mamma, and tell everybody else, my darling. I don’t care who knows it! I shall write to the earl this very evening to ask leave to bear away his little treasure; and, re- - member, we are to be married this fall!” ‘So soon!” she said, with a half-startled look. — *So soon! Isn’t it nearly three long mortal months off? Iam not a Jacob, to serve seven years patiently. I must nie you all to myself before we both grow old and wrin- e ae : And Lady Blanche laughed merrily at the idea of impend- Ing age and wrinkles. : he Countess of Glenhampton received the tidings with evident gratification. ‘“My dear Vere,” she said, with the gentle graciousness which she could assume whenever she saw fit, and which was so becoming to her, “‘I shall receive you as a second son with real pleasure. I donot think my daughter could have chosen better; and it is so much better, in my opinion, for young people to settle early in life!” So far the suit of Lord Vere Temple prospered brilliantly, and the Countess of Glenhampton so managed it that before — sunset everyone in the castle was quite aware that Lord Vere ‘Temple had proposed to Lady Blanche Arden and been ac- cepted. She wanted it to be a universally understood thing = comicbooks