The Palace Beautiful: A Story for GirlsMeade, L. T.
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The Palace Beautiful: A Story for Girls
Meade, L. T.
England -- Juvenile fiction; Orphans -- Juvenile fiction; Sisters -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
"I'm truly pleased to see you, Mrs. Martin," she said. "Why you're
quite a stranger in these parts, and I did not expect to see you round
now, with one of your young ladies returned and all."
Hannah heaved a profound sigh.
"She's very, very ill, poor darling," she said. "Very dangerously weak
and ill; and I must trouble you to hasten with the paper, Mrs. Jones.
One penn'orth of your most shining note, and two envelopes to match.
Mind you, give me a paper with a good gloss on it, Mrs. Jones."
Mrs. Jones stared at Hannah Martin; but fetching down a box of
note-paper, prepared to wrap some sheets in tissue paper.
"I shouldn't say Miss Primrose was ill," she remarked as she did so,
"though she do seem worried, dear young lady."
When the shop-woman made this observation Hannah's pence tumbled down
on the counter with a crash.
"Goodness gracious me, ma'am!" she exclaimed, "you don't mean to tell
me that Miss Primrose Mainwaring is at Rosebury?"
"Why, of course, ma'am; why, don't you know? why you said but now how
weak and ill she was."
"Never mind the paper," answered Hannah, "and never mind a word I said
about anybody; just have the goodness to tell me where I'll find Miss
Primrose."
"She was staying with Miss Martineau but yesterday and there's a
gentleman come down, too--a very 'ansome, harristocratic-looking young
man, I call him, and for all the world as like our pretty Miss Jasmine
as if he was own brother to her--and they two and Miss Martineau are
fairly scouring the place for that poor little tot Miss Daisy, who it
seems 'as run away from home. Why, Hannah--Hannah Martin, woman! are
you daft?"
For Hannah had rushed from the shop while Mrs. Jones was speaking,
leaving her neglected paper and two or three pence behind her on the
counter. A few moments later the good soul was knocking at Miss
Martineau's door, and very soon Primrose and Arthur Noel too were in
possession of all the facts that Hannah could give them.
"Oh, Hannah! it is so good to think you were the one to save her and
find her," said Primrose, as she kissed her old nurse, and shed some
thankful tears.
"You had better come back with me now, Miss Primrose," said Hannah,
"and perhaps the gentleman or Miss Martineau will send a telegraphic
message to poor Miss Jasmine."
But Primrose's difficulties had not come to an end. She instantly
started to walk across the fields with Hannah; but when Daisy heard
she had come she absolutely refused to see her, and cried so
piteously, and got into such an excited state, that Primrose felt
herself obliged to yield to the child's caprice, and to keep out of
the room.
"I can't see her, Hannah," poor little Daisy said. "Of all people in
all the world, I can't see my own Primrose. Oh, if only I were well
enough to go to Mrs. Ellsworthy, or if only the Prince would come!"
Primrose heard Daisy's weak little voice through the thin walls of
Hannah's cottage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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