Courtship -- Fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
The day passes off very pleasantly, nothing has been forgotten with
regard to the luncheon, and the weather is lovely, there is just enough
wind to rustle through the trees and prevent the air from being sultry,
the spot chosen for the repast is at the top of a hill which is covered
with fir trees and tall green bracken, innumerable paths lead up and
down and all round it, and at the summit a clearing has been made, and a
small picturesque cottage has been built, with small diamond paned
windows and a balcony running round two sides; the inmates, an old man
and woman, who can provide water, are profuse in their greetings begging
the company to sit in the balcony, and Lippa tired and sleepy with last
night's exertion excuses herself from the members of the party who set
out for a ramble, and takes advantage of the balcony and gives herself
up to sleep: more than once a little smile hovers round her lips, and
Dalrymple who has turned back under pretext of renewed headache, watches
her for some time, then fearing to awake her, lights a cigar and strolls
away. What a great deal of trouble and misunderstanding he could have
prevented in awaking her,--but how could he tell.
Sometime later Philippa with a sigh of content opens her eyes, she is
still too sleepy to think of moving, so she remains quite still,
presently the sound of voices breaks upon her ears, but she does not
heed them. 'Oh--how--comfortable I am,' she thinks and is just dropping
off to sleep again when she hears her name spoken!
'Philippa,' someone is saying. 'Yes; she is a dear little girl.'
'That's Mab's voice. She thinks me a dear little girl, does she,'
comments Miss Seaton.
'Poor child; she is so like what her mother was at that age. Does she
know about her?'
Lippa recognises Lady Dadford's voice, but it never enters her head that
she ought not to listen.
'No,' replies Mabel. 'You see she was such a baby at the time, and
afterwards George thought it better that she should remain under the
belief that she is dead; she is so very sensitive--'
'I daresay your husband is right,' says Lady Dadford. 'It was all very
sad. At first, you know, the doctors had hopes that her reason would
come back, but they gave it up after a year. Does your--'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account