FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  
likes? What would he wish me to do and to be? You know his noble nature, and I must look to you for guidance." Lady Fawn was embarrassed. She had now seated herself on the sofa, and Lizzie was close to her, almost enveloped within her mantle. "My dear," said Lady Fawn, "if you will endeavour to do your duty by him, I am sure he will do his by you." "I know it. I am sure of it. And I will; I will. You will let me love you, and call you mother?" A peculiar perfume came up from Lizzie's hair which Lady Fawn did not like. Her own girls, perhaps, were not given to the use of much perfumery. She shifted her seat a little, and Lizzie was compelled to sit upright, and without support. Hitherto Lady Fawn had said very little, and Lizzie's part was one difficult to play. She had heard of that sermon read every Sunday evening at Fawn Court, and she believed that Lady Fawn was peculiarly religious. "There," she said, stretching out her hand backwards and clasping the book which lay upon the small table,--"there; that shall be my guide. That will teach me how to do my duty by my noble husband." Lady Fawn in some surprise took the book from Lizzie's hand, and found that it was the Bible. "You certainly can't do better, my dear, than read your Bible," said Lady Fawn,--but there was more of censure than of eulogy in the tone of her voice. She put the Bible down very quietly, and asked Lady Eustace when it would suit her to come down to Fawn Court. Lady Fawn had promised her son to give the invitation, and could not now, she thought, avoid giving it. "Oh, I should like it so much!" said Lizzie. "Whenever it will suit you, I will be there at a minute's notice." It was then arranged that she should be at Fawn Court on that day week, and stay for a fortnight. "Of all things that which I most desire now," said Lizzie, "is to know you and the dear girls,--and to be loved by you all." Lady Eustace, as soon as she was alone in the room, stood in the middle of it, scowling,--for she could scowl. "I'll not go near them," she said to herself,--"nasty, stupid, dull, puritanical drones. If he don't like it, he may lump it. After all it's no such great catch." Then she sat down to reflect whether it was or was not a catch. As soon as ever Lord Fawn had left her after the engagement was made, she had begun to tell herself that he was a poor creature, and that she had done wrong. "Only five thousand a year!" she said to herself;--for she ha
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Lizzie

 

Eustace

 

Whenever

 

minute

 

giving

 
thousand
 

notice

 

fortnight

 

arranged

 
thought

engagement

 
quietly
 

invitation

 

promised

 

reflect

 

stupid

 

creature

 

puritanical

 

drones

 

scowling


desire

 

things

 

middle

 

clasping

 

perfume

 

peculiar

 

mother

 

perfumery

 

shifted

 

compelled


guidance

 
embarrassed
 

seated

 

nature

 

endeavour

 
mantle
 

enveloped

 

upright

 

husband

 

surprise


censure

 

eulogy

 

difficult

 

sermon

 

support

 

Hitherto

 
Sunday
 

stretching

 

backwards

 

religious