When the coach arrived in Edinburgh, Anne saw from its window little
Alice Aytoun's fair face looking for her anxiously. James and Alice were
waiting to take her home. Anne had purposed spending the short time she
should remain in Edinburgh, in the house of an old companion and former
schoolfellow; but Alice clung and pleaded, there was no denying her--so
Anne suffered herself to be guided to Mrs. Aytoun's quiet little house.
Mrs. Aytoun received her with grave kindness; the affectionate
dependence which Alice had upon the stronger character of Anne, the good
report which James had given of her, and even her present undertaking,
out of the way and unusual though it was, had prepossessed Mrs. Aytoun
in her favor. And Norman--the neglected wife remembered him too, so
delicately kind, so generous, so reverent of her weakness long ago, when
her husband and he were friends; and though she delivered no judgment in
his favor, her heart yet went forth in full sympathy with the brave
sister, who was so resolute in her belief of his innocence, so eager to
labor for its proof. Mrs. Aytoun's God-speed was music to the heart of
Anne.
And Alice, very tremulously joyful, clung about her all night long--now
sitting on the stool at her feet, her fair curls drooping on Anne's
knee--now leaning on her chair--now seated by her side, clasping her
hand. James, too, with brotherly confidence and kindness, advised with
her about her plans and future proceedings. Anne felt the atmosphere
brighten. Surely these were good omens.
In the meantime, Jacky, we regret to say, had been suffering a good deal
from disappointment; it was not from her first glimpse of Edinburgh, but
it was from the house in Edinburgh, which was specially honored as being
the dwelling of "Miss Alice." Jacky had been struck with awe and
admiration as she glanced at it from without. The great "land" looked
very stately, and spacious, and commanding, though it did immediately
front a street, and had neither grounds nor trees surrounding it--but
when the immense house dwindled into a single flat, of which she could
count all the rooms at a glance, Jacky felt the disappointment sadly.
Then she was taken into the small bright kitchen, where Mrs. Aytoun's
stout woman-servant, the only domestic of the household, was preparing
tea for the travellers. Jacky was scarcely prepared for this. It might
have been difficult, we fancy, for many persons more experienced than
Jacky, to ascertain what claim to respect or honor, a young Scottish
lawyer, with very little practice as yet, whose house consisted of one
flat only, and the wants of whose establishment one woman-servant could
supply--could possibly have.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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