Hopes and Fears: or, scenes from the life of a spinsterYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
General
Hopes and Fears: or, scenes from the life of a spinster
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
England -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction; Single women -- Fiction
'Such fun! To be taken when well shaken. Here we go up, up, up; and
here we go down, down, down! Ha! ware fishing-rod! This is what it is
to travel. No one ever described the experiences of an inside car!'
'Because no one in their senses would undergo such misery!'
'But you don't regard the beauties, Rashe, beauties of nature and art
combined--see the lights reflected in the river--what a width. Oh! why
don't they treat the Thames as they do the Liffey?'
'I can't see, I shall soon be dead! and getting to an inn without
luggage, it's not respectable.'
'If you depart this life on the way, the want of luggage will concern me
the most, my dear. Depend on it, other people have driven up in inside
cars, minus luggage, in the memory of man, in this City of Dublin. Are
you such a worldling base as to depend for your respectability on a
paltry leathern trunk?'
Lucilla's confidence did not appear misplaced, for neither waiters nor
chambermaids seemed surprised, but assured them that people usually
missed their luggage by that train, and asseverated that it would appear
next morning.
Lucilla awoke determined to be full of frolic and enjoyment, and Horatia,
refreshed by her night's rest, was more easily able to detect 'such fun'
than on the previous night; so the two cousins sat down amicably to
breakfast on the Sunday morning, and inquired about church-services.
'My mallard's tail hat is odd "go to meeting" head-gear,' said Cilla,
'but one cannot lapse into heathenism; so where, Rashe?'
'Wouldn't it be fun to look into a Roman Catholic affair?'
'No,' said Cilly, decidedly; 'where I go it shall be the genuine article.
I don't like curiosities in religion.'
'It's a curiosity to go to church at twelve o'clock! If you are so
orthodox, let us wait for St. Patrick's this afternoon.'
'And in the meantime? It is but eleven this minute, and St. Patrick's is
not till three. There's nothing to be done but to watch Irish nature in
the street. Oh! I never before knew the perfection of Carleton's
illustration. See that woman and her cap, and the man's round eyebrows
and projecting lips with shillelagh written on them. Would it be
Sabbath-breaking to perpetrate a sketch?'
But as Ratia was advancing to the window, Lucy suddenly started back,
seized her and whirled her away, crying, 'The wretch! I know him now! I
could not make him out last night.'
'Who?' exclaimed Rashe, starting determinedly to the window, but detained
by the two small but resolute hands clasped round her waist.
'That black-whiskered valet of Mr. Calthorp's. If that man has the
insolence to dog me and spy me, I'll not stay in Ireland another day.'
'Oh, what fun!' burst out Horatia. 'It becomes romantic!'
'Atrocious impertinence!' said Lucilla, passionately. 'Why do you stand
there laughing?'
'At you, my dear,' gasped Ratia, sinking on the sofa in her spasm of
mirth. 'At your reception of chivalrous devotion.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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