The Evansville journal., 1866-08-30
ANGELICA'S BETROTHAL !:
A Christmas Story ofthe sold Court .
CHAPTER 1.

NnAF1Eh l.
A CHRISTMAS SCENE AT THE OLD COURT
Remember our conversation, my
dearl"
The young girl to whom these words
were addressed by her mother, stood
cloaked softly and warm in the hall Of
her rectory home, waiting for the
carriage Which was to convey the
family party, consisting of herself and
her father and mother, to the scene OF
Christmas festivity at the YlOld Court, y
the baronial residence of Lord and
Lady Hautain, who held their Christ
mas revels in the fashions of the good
old times. s7ffte
They we're a childless couple, and
this fact had been the only cross which
their tranquil lives had known. ra;
I" - The poor relations, no Wever, who
sprang with rapid offshoot growth
from the original parent tree, and
whor if not coming exactly under the
head Of the blind, the halt, and the
lame, might still have been summed
up under the expressive modern ad-
jective of "seedy, profted consider
ably by the absence of nearer and
dearer ties, and more legitimate OBJ.
jects of affection, in the case of the
representative of the house of Hau-
tain, in whose breast hospitality was
rampant virtue, delighting in an. ex-
cuse for excess. .41 81 d b3t1oasE u
Weasel-like old bachelors, who
looked i'll at home in, their creased
dfesSac oats, and 9thin, bird like old
maids, some of them with "honora-
BILE = attached to their names; make
up for the miserable pittance, the
portion 0fthe younger scions of many
"a noble house, giving the mysterious
privilege OF position, }ndearg to the.
heart of honorable women of. GER
tain age; and young married couples
struggling with the gaunt wolf of
poverty, and the annual addition of
another little HAT utainL to1the family
circle :, these were the sort of guests
which thel worthy old couple delight
ed tosee assemble at the "Old Court
on each returning celebration Of our
highest and hottest feast.6sp2 ph''.
MraTemple, the rector of the par
ish, was Atf. easygoing clergyman OF
the old school :, and his wife. was a
ybustling, worldlyaminded woman, the
daughter Of a neighboring baronet,
who had just made the browning suc1
cess of her. life BY introducing into
society the really beautiful girl, whom.
by master stroke of diplomacy, not
often opractised by mothers nova
days, she had Kept strictly immuredl
in the schoolroom, until the ehrysalis
was, ready to be cast and the butterfly
wings to spread in all their glory to
/, the gaze of an admiring world
Angelica or Angel Temple" as
she had been christened on her
first appearance in II the q county,
was no common g character but
with much, that was really. noble,
she had simbibed deer strain
Of n worldliness from the educa-
tom she 81 had received from aher
mother; and the remark Of the latter,
with which this chapter opened, was
the result of a conversation which Z
viii quote here for the benefit of, the
reader, and to explain, the footing on
which the mother and daughter stood.
I wish you would not be so re-
served, with me, Angel began Mrs.
Temple, who had adopted tie popd-
lar abbreviation of her daughter .
name; you will meet Mr.. Hautain
again tonight, and it is quite neees-
sary that, | should be Informed
whether this growing intimacy be-
tween you is likely to lead to anything
or not. 80. . .-@ 49,, - z p. IS . o. ats
" I think / am able to take care of
myself, mother, and | do not exactly
know what you mean by leading to
anything Of course you know that
| could marry Reginald tomorrow if
i liked; as far as he is concerned in
the matter, there would be no diff
Guilty in bringing it to anything at
20 AS She said. these words with an.air
| Of defiance, Mrs. 5Yemple looked
quickly up in her daughters face.
" Angel" she said, in the sharp per-
emptory tones natural to her, "you
will not be such fool as to throw
away such a chance as this Why did
you not tell me before2l' lap,aas '17
no. Perhaps, because / do intend
to be the fool you take me for. Per-
haps, because, loving another man.
penniless man, as I do, I do not in
tend to- selbmyself. to- that untamed
cub, Reginald Hautain, as the highest
bidder In the marriage market as vet.
Perhaps, because | am so well suited
to live on hundred a year, that I AIN
not likely to throw away such achance
as that, What say you, mother? you
shall decide for me, in this difficult
matter. l2promise TO abide by your
decision. Shall / marry Reginald, or
Stephen Hautain? Either of them
would have me to-morrow5ItOH
\ Angel s. -countenance, to tell the
truth, belied her name as she uttered
these words, standing opposite to, her
mother, with a lnrid light in her fine,
eyes, and the demon spifitIof scorn