The Widowed Bride — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

206 THE WIDOWED BRIDE. ingly. ‘My arrival here is a secret for the present. Let your lips be sealed as you value your place.” Certainly, my lord,” said the footman, in great bewilder- ment. “Ernest,” said the earl, turning to his step-son, ‘‘take Al- legra at once to your own suite of apartments. I believe they are generally kept in readiness, whether you are at home or abroad. She needs rest after her journey, and | should prefer that at present she should not meet the count- ess.” He never called her ‘‘my wife” again. “But, Rena—my sister, papa!” The earl’s stern countenance softened into strange tender- Ness. ‘“‘T will see that you are not long kept apart, my daugh- ter,” he answered, and Allegra, habitually obedient, fol- lowed her husband through the wide, softly carpeted corri- dors. Captain Evelyn pulled mercilessly at his mustache, as he offered his arm to Allegra—he only hoped that his step-father’s evident pleasure in his marriage might com- municate itself to the countess also—for bold though his nature was, he felt undeniably nervous on the subject of presenting his bride to Lady Glenhampton. The earl stood in the portico until Captain Evelyn and his young wife had disappeared, and then went directly to the blue drawing-room, where he knew his wife often spent her morning hours at this lovely season of the year. Lady Glenhampton’s scarlet camel’s hair scarf lay on the sofa, a token that she had recently occupied the apartment; but she was not there now. One person only stood in the middle of the room, gnawing fiercely at his nails, with a face such as Cain might have worn when first the instinct of murder entered into his soul. He looked up, with a sudden flash of surprise in his eyes, as the earl entered the apartment and stood facing him. ~~ ££You are welcome, my Lord Glenhampton,” he said, ‘ad- vancing; and the earl, to his surprise, recognized Mr. Theo- — dore Poynings, the family solicitor. “YT am much obliged to you, Mr. Poynings,” said the earl, courteously, and about to pass on; ‘‘but I was looking for _ Lady Glenhampton.” : Mr. Poynings placed himself resolutely in the way. “My lord,” he said, his voice quivering strangely, “will cS (elo) EOmMIEchoo