Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
You can go and see her. Through the passages and the intervening door
to the other house; or else go out into the street and make a call of
state at the private entrance. Up the wide staircase to the handsome
landing-place already told of, with its rich green carpet, its painted
windows, its miniature conservatory, and its statues; on all of which
the sun is shining as brightly as it was that other day four years
ago, when Bede Greatorex came home, fresh from the unhappy scenes
connected with the death of Mr. Ollivera. Not into the dining-room;
there's no one in it; there's no one in the large and beautiful
drawing-room; enter, first of all, a small apartment on the side that
they call the study.
At the table sat Jane Greatorex, grown into a damsel of twelve, but
exceedingly little and childlike in appearance. She was writing French
dictation. By her side, speaking the words in a slow, distinct tone,
with a good and pure accent, sat a young lady, her face one of the
sweetest it was ever man's lot to look upon. The hazel eyes were deep,
honest, steady; the auburn hair lay lightly away from delicate and
well-carved features; the complexion was pure and bright. A slender
girl of middle height, and gentle, winning manners, whose simple
morning dress of light cashmere sat well upon her.
Surely that modest, good, thoughtful young woman could not be Mrs.
Bede Greatorex! No: you must wait yet an instant for introduction to
her. That is only Miss Jane's governess, a young lady who has but
recently entered on her duties as such, and is striving to perform
them conscientiously. She is very patient, although the little girl is
excessively tiresome, with a strong will of her own, and a decided
objection to lessons of all kinds. She is the more patient because she
remembers what a tiresome child she was herself, at that age, and the
vast amount of trouble she gave wilfully to her sister-governess.
"No, Jane; it is not _facture_; it is _facteur_. We are speaking of a
postman, you know. The two words are essentially different; different
in meaning, in spelling, and in sound. I explained this to you
yesterday."
"I don't like doing dictation, Miss Channing," came the answering
response.
"Go on, please. Le facteur, qui----"
"I'm tired to death. I know I've done a whole page."
"You have done three lines. One of these days I will give you a whole
page to do, and then you'll know what a whole page is. Le facteur, qui
arrive----"
Miss Jane Greatorex suddenly took a large penful of ink, and shook it
deliberately on the copy-book. Leaving them to the contest, in which
be you very sure the governess would conquer, for she was calm, kind,
and firm, we will go to an opposite room, one that Mrs. Bede called
her boudoir. A beautiful room, its paper and panelling of white and
gold, its velvet carpet of delicate tints, its silk curtains of a soft
rose-colour. But neither Mrs. Bede Greatorex, who sat there, nor her
attire was in accordance with the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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