"F----"
Babie, with eyes full of tears, was looking up to speak, when the
carriage, having completed the round, again stopped, and Mrs. Evelyn
came down, escorted by Cecil, with hearty thanks.
"Essie's nice clean, fresh, country notions were scouted by the
London housemaid," she said. "I am happy to say the child held her
own, though the woman presumed outrageously on her gentleness, and
neither of the two had any notion how to get rid of her."
"Arcadia had no housemaids," said Fordham, rallying.
"If not, it must have been nearly as bad as Jock's twelfth century,"
said Babie, in the same tone.
"Ah! I see!" said Mrs. Evelyn, laughing.
And there was a little playful banter as to which had been the
impatient one to open the parcel, each pretending to persuade her
that it had been a mere yielding to the other. Thus they came to
Collingwood Street, where Babie would have taken out her book.
"No, no, wait," said Fordham. "I want to write your name in it
first. I'll send it this evening. Ali and Armie are coming to me
while these good people are at their Duchess's."
"Our last gaiety, I am thankful to say," returned his mother, as
Barbara felt a fervent squeeze of the hand, which she knew was meant
to remind her of the deeper tone of their conversation.
Pages:
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825