The Widowed Bride — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. 87 in a little Italian convent town. I wish Lord Glenhampton were at home; he would be pleased with your appreciation of his pet work of art.” ‘When is he coming, mamma?” asked Lady Blanche,who was gathering scarlet pomegranate blossoms from a pyramid of bloom and fragrance which occupied the center of the -hall, ‘Not until October, at least,” the countess answered. ‘Doctor Mellin thinks the air of the Continent agrees so much better with him at this season of the year that he has concluded to remain here at present.” “Come, Rena,” said Lady Blanche, passing her arm through that of her companion, as the latter still lingered befcre the dove-eyed Madonna, whose sad face looked with such an expression of human love and longing from the dusky darkness of the-canvas. ‘‘Has the picture fascinated you?” “No,” said Rena, turning away with almost an effort; ‘but somehow it seems to me asif my own mother must have looked like that.” — Lady Glenhampton glanced kindly at her. «Can you remember your mother, my dear?” she asked. ‘“‘Blanche tells me that you are an orphan?” “IT suppose I cannot remember, but I am always trying to picture her face to myself,” answered Rena, gravely. The trim-looking, little French waiting-maid, whom Lady Glenhampton called Marienne, had opened a door, supported by white and gold pilasters, above which were wreathed gold vine-leaves and clusters of white grapes. — “These are the apartments of mademoiselle,” she said, with a courtesy, and Blanche left her with a kiss. ‘‘Marienne will take care of you,” she said; ‘‘and I will come for you when I am dressed.” Rena followed the maid across a tiny vestibule, carpeted with rose-colored velvet and hung with pink silk, fringed with silver, in a suite of rooms communicating with each other—boudoir, bedroom, and dressing-room, with a small anteroom adjoining. Lady Glenhampton had called them the rose-rooms, and Rena understood why, as she stood look- -. inground. The carpets were of pink velvet, the window draperies of pink and silver, and the walls tinted of the . faintest rose-color, like the last delicate reflections of a mid- Eo Comicboo <S Mm