Dime novels; England -- Fiction; Foundlings -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Popular literature
“We know not whether death be good,
But life at least it will not be;
Men will stand sadd’ning as we stood,
Watch the same fields and sky as we,
And the same sea.
“Let this be said between us here--
One love grows green when one turns gray,
This year knows nothing of last year,
To-morrow has no more to say
To yesterday.
“Live and let live, as I will do--
Love and let love, and so will I;
But sweet for me no more with you,
Not while I live, not though I die.
Good-night, good-by!”
It was a new song, sent in, with many others, by the earl. Margery
played it through, and sang the words in a low, sad voice, till the
passion of the music awoke a chord within her; and then, as she neared
the end, her tones rang out clear and sweet through the large room.
As the echoes died away, the door opened, and the footman ushered
in a lady. Margery rose quickly, gave one look, then, with a sudden
exclamation of pleasure, hastened forward and threw her arms round the
newcomer.
“Miss Lawson!” she cried, with honest joy. “I am so glad--so glad to
see you once again!”
Miss Lawson kissed the fair cheek in silence, while tears glistened
in her eyes. If ever she had doubted the warmth, the generosity, the
goodness of Margery’s nature for an instant, the genuine pleasure and
affection of the girl now would have shamed her. She was still the
Margery of old, the sweet, loving Margery she knew so well.
“You are glad, child?” she said, quietly. “So am I to see your dear
face again; the months have seemed long since you went, though your
letters have told me all you have done. You are the same Margery; yet
you are changed, dear.”
“I am older and--a married woman,” Margery responded, with a forced
little laugh. “My dignity makes me older. But come and sit with me. How
much I have to say, and yet I scarcely know where to begin!”
Miss Lawson let her remove her bonnet and cloak and push her with
affectionate hand into an easy-chair in the inner room, close to a
blazing fire. With undisguised pleasure her eyes rested on the girlish
figure. It was not until Margery had gone from the village that the
rectory governess realized how deeply the waif had crept into her heart.
“You are not surprised to see me?” she said, after a while, as Lady
Court seated herself on a stool at her feet.
“I have been thinking of you so much and so often that you seem part of
my life. You are come to stay with me, dear Miss Lawson? Yes, yes, you
must stay; I shall not let you go.”
“I must return to-morrow; Mrs. Carr will expect me. I left Hurstley on
purpose to see you, Margery.”
“How good of you!” exclaimed Margery, warmly, fondling the worn hand
between her two soft palms. “This is just what I wanted to complete
everything.”
“You are happy?” asked Miss Lawson, abruptly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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