The Widowed Bride — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. 61 field answered, coaxingly, ‘‘but I think I should like to take those two pretty little girls out of the Refuge and place them somewhere where their own efforts may raise them into a re- spectable position.” “‘At my expense?” ‘‘At the expense of the oriental topaz set,” laughed his. wite. “Well, my dear, I don’t see why your whim should not be humored even if Kleanor Heneage’s is not,’ said Lord Barrowfield. ‘‘What shall I do for the little independ- ents?” “‘T should like to put them into Miss Hartford’s school at Hampstead.” ““My dear! why that’s the very hot-bed of juvenile aris- tocracy and refined young ladyhood.” “That is the very atmosphere I desire for my half-opened rosebuds. Miss Hartford will educate them for governesses, or companions, or something of that sort, to perfection. No one need know that they came from Wykenham Ref- uge, and they will, at least, be supplied with suitable | eeapone with which to fight the battle of their lonely young ives.” “But I can’t understand why you have taken such a fancy to them, Clemence,” said Lord Barrowfield. “Nor I, scarcely; only that they are so little and help- less, and there is something so pathetic in their clinging af- Seay for each other. You do not object to my plan, Her- ert?”’, ‘‘Not a particle, my dear,” said Lord Barrowfield. ‘It seems to me rather a Utopian idea, but I am willing to in- duige you in it, more especially as you don’t often treat me _ to a caprice of that kind.” “You are the darlingest husband alive!” cried Lady Barrowfield, rewarding her liege lord with half a dozen kisses. Lady Barrowfield was thoroughly in earnest when once she set abot the prosecution of a plan. And the moon, then in the slender crescent of its silver glory, was not fairly _ past the full when Miss Hartford, of Hartford Lodge, in a retired part of Hampstead, received into her aristocratic **Kstablishment for Young Ladies” two little girls, brought thither under the auspices of no less distinguished a lady - than the Baroness Barrowfield, and entered on the academi- Eomicboo cS (ele) mn