Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

THE ACCOUCHEMENT 33 don called; and he was accordingly dressed in his usual manner, which was with considerable neatness and precision; when he accompanied her to the villa. He was a person of few words, and never asked questions through motives of curiosity. So long as he was well paid, he saw things only with a professional eye; but he was avaricious, selfish, and of a money-making disposition. He was married to a lady who shared in his miserly propensities; and as they had no children, and his practice was extensive, they had contrived to amass a handsome independence. | Mr. Thurston — for this was the name of the medical gentleman — was introduced into the bedchamber where his services were required; and Octavia, having seen him as far as the door of that room, returned to her sister in the parlour. “This is a night of adventures, Pauline,’ she observed, as she seated herself near the cheerful fire and warmed her hands, which were chilled with the nipping frost. ‘‘ But the present incident is more extraordinary, and also more unpleasant, than the former,’ returned the younger Miss Clarendon. “ By the bye, did you notice how abruptly Mr. Harley took his departure? ”’ ‘‘ T consider his behaviour to be most rude, most ungentle- manlike,”’ said Octavia, with a strong emphasis on the epi- thets. ‘“‘ After the hospitality we afforded him, — and under such equivocal circumstances, too, — the least he could have done would — ” “Would have been to wish us good-bye,” observed Pauline, finishing the sentence for her sister; and the two | handsome girls pouted their pretty lips, — lps on which an Antony might have sealed the loss of the empire of a world. “But do not let us think of Mr. Harley any longer,” suddenly exclaimed Octavia, proposing, however, something to which she could not possibly settle her mind, inasmuch as the handsome person, the elegant manners, and the varied conversational powers of that gentleman had made a deep impression upon her. “No, we will banish him from our memories,’ observed Pauline. ‘“‘ Indeed, we ought to think of the poor lady up- stairs, whom the accident to the barouche will perhaps render prematurely a mother.” ) GOmiicdoo ss) (C©)