Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

the drawing-room, just before the arrival of the sxuests, “you might at least have turned your dress away at the neck and filled it in with lace,” Helena shivered at the suggestion, as if the very thought hadchilled her; but she made no reply, and Mrs. Stewart continued : “T must confess, though, that severe style suits: you wonderfully well; butit would be very trying to | most people.” “Helena never looked so well,” Belle bluntly as- serted, While she regarded her sister with critical eyes. “Somehow she looks as if she was clean and pure through and through.” Helena eyed her sharply, as if in some donbt of how she ought to receive the compliment; but she deigned to make no reply, aud a few moments later all were busy receiving their cuests. The Harwoods and Percy had been invited down from London. Lord Nelson bad consented to come from Osterly for the occasion, to please bis gzrand- wother, and Mr. Osborn was also bidden “for the sake of auld lang syne,” as Mrs. Stewart wrote in her friendly note accompanying the formal invita- tion. If she could have seen the cynical smile that curved his lips when he read it, she might have thought that this reference to by-gone days Was Lot as agreeable as she had desired to make it. comicbooks.coim > * * * *. . *