The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-22

4
| ruined towers, the fragments of what bad been
the abode OF the family when the Norman klug
gave the estate TO the first Pomiret, the founder
OF tie race. There was an American garden,
and lake, and the lovelest winding, tum bling,
turbulent stream meaDdering through the
grounds that was ever seen. But all these
things l knew afterwards. All ! could see now
vas that the house was stately looking but
full Of bright life apparently; for from every
window there streamed flood of light, and
voices iuil OF warm, hearty tones were borne
I, out INTO the coldDess OF the December air.
1t was AL so much more grand than had ex-
pected that felt terribly net vous about walking
IN through that ponderous door, and facing the
Pomtrets alone. But 1t had TO be done; so did
now that the entrance-hall is furnished more
ike banqueting- hall, with its bullets and huge
tankards OF silver and gold (rathcr different
these to poor Guys mug)-its big leathern
couches and capacious chairs-lts grandly pan
neled oak walls, hung with shields, and adorned
at regular intervals with life-size figures of men
in armor land its floor luxuriously earpeted
with Persian rugs and tiger aud bear and deer
skins. i know all this now--as know myself
or better, perhaps; but 1t was all lost upon me
then as lowered some where in the rear OF the
big swiss who acted as porter, who went on
ana announced me to some one, who forth
come.
This some one was kiudly-looking, small
slightly delormed lady, who came up and kissed
me, saying:-
Good gracious! can you be Georgiuas
daughterS My dear child, you're as oil as she
was when | saw her last.r Then she hustled
ABOUT little, rang bell, and finally sent me
TO my room, under the care OF her owu maid
PeIcival.
Before any of my fears and shortcomings
can be accepted by the reader as natural it
must be FULLY understood that, though | was a
toWn.6red girl, had seen nothing of society"
had lived Bohemian life with my brother
TIL he married, and after his marriage had
lived In absolute quiet with his wife; so now [
had not single precedent to go upon at the
IoWeIs-nothing but my womanly instincts,
and feared that these might prove insufficient.
For example, felt abject before Percival, as
She after having had my box unstrapped by
subordinate, proceeded to unpack it, | knew
What 1t contained, and kneW what she would
think OF what 1t contained, and wished | hadn't
come TO the Towers, in a breath. Then
wished she would speak to me: and
then remembered that It was moi
her part to volunteer, speech. And then
self reflected at full length, and wished ask
lngly, that was not so much more substantial
looking than that brilliant apparltou in velvet
and grebe. who had met the other brilliant appa-
rltlon at the station.
Presently some tea in greyish.white cup and
some shavings of bread and butter were brought
to me-a deep, fat armchair having been pre-
v1ously wheeled ronnd to theS6re, and table
placed beside it, by Percival. Then that oppres-
sive person announced her intention of leaving
me for an hour, till it was time to come back
and dress for dinner, and was lett alone.
Alone at last land how very small felt, to
be sure, in that lofty room, whose corners were
lost in shade for all the wax candles that were
laylshly burning themselves away for my en-.
lightenment on the maItelpiece and dressing
table. What mantelpiece it was, too !-carved
into hundred quaint concets and flo very
tancies, in such rich-looking dark oak As sat
there, tired, and warm, and excited, | began to
make out stories for the many ladies of the mouse
ofPomtret who must bave sat where was sitting
now, and warmed themselves in other days.
Those other. days-ah how the romance of
them grew upon and be wildered me as sat lost
in the depths of the armchair looking round
at the dressIng-table, that was so different to
nything had ever seen before--out of Wardour
street. NO muslin covered its big carved oak
legSIL11o little delicate fancifdl arrangements Of
quilted ribbon and fluted lace ran round its
border. 1t stood uncovered in its dark, hard
beauty; for know it TO have possessed that lat
ter attribute, now that am aware that Gibbons
imagination and hand both worked uDon it,
What massive silver-framed old glass it was
that stood upon titan unbecoming old glass,
too | remember, for all its grandeur-a glass
that made me look green when stood before it,
and that threw my nose in o a queer line that
feature never had from nature.
For mad to rouse myself from my deep,
dreamy fancies, and stand 10 be dressed before
that olo glass at last Percival came back, and
her auspices. and sat myself down before my
stately tollet-allar to be dressed for nv first
Christmas evening in a country house.
felt veiiy much depressed when, the
foundation of fine starched skirts and silk
slips laid, PeTcival the terrible, the only
maid | had ever had to wait upon me,
brought out my prize dress-a feecy thing,
81 cloudy white tulle and put1iness, that Helen
had taken special pains with. This had been
designed as sort of crownine gory-a thing in
which to appear at some great county ball-a
robe in which to be seen by the prince Charm
ing, who was 10 be seen and conquered by me
tlI NIGif A.,1 D.ra, IL.
for me to 20 down to dinner in. spoke at last,
suggesting mildly that there was no company,
was there?"
Only the company staying in the house
about twenty" PercIval replied, standing before
me like respectable Fate, with the tulle dress
gathered up over her arm.
Then | will wear black silk" I cOntrived to
say, firmly. So at last | cot dressed in that
with great white gauze cloud over me called
scarf. Al d. then my hour was come, and | went
down as we'll as could to the Pomtrets' drawing,
room.
| shall never forget the desire had to say,
please, don't!" when the before re-menuoned
gorgeous Swiss threw open the drawing room
door, and announced "Mss Dunbar" shiyer
possessed me from head TO foot, and something
went wrong with q vein IN the back of my head
and the walls Wrigeled- and the floor surged
and the ceiling came swoopihg down !-and
found myself erect after it all, and shaking
hands with an old gentleman, who was thin ana
grey, and had very hooked nose.
fret. He did not say much to me, but
what he did say was kindly meant and
kindly expressed, l found myself sitting
down after a minute, looking up at him
as he stood before me, questioning me as to my
journey; and then l found myself answering
HIM coherently enough though a shy glance
which had given to che lett nearly made my
brain reel again.
There were several people in the room, but i.
was large, and they stood in detached groups
and so did not strike the eye at once. At irs
when | came in | was only cons ,ious OF light
..A - H. l. H. L