The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-01-28
SIR GUYS; GOBLET.
CONCLUDED FROM LAST wEEK)

: CONCLUDED FROM LAST wEEK.)
1t was all 50 much more grand
than I had expected, that 1 felt ter
ribly nervous about walking in
through that ponderous door, and fac
ing the Pomfrets alone. But it. had
to be done; SO I did it without q sign
Of the hesitation I felt. I know now
that the entrance-hall is furnished
more like banqueting-hall, with its
bufets and huge tankards of silver
and gold (rather different these from
poor Guys mug), its big leathern
couches and capacious chairs,-its
grandly-panelled oak walls, hung with
shields, and adorned at regular inter-
walls with llfesize figures of men in ar
NOR, and its floor luxuriously car
peted with Persian rugs, and tiger,
and bear, and deer skins. I know all
this now,-as I know myself, or bet
ter perhaps; but it was, all,lost upon
me then, as hovered somewhere in
the rear of the big Swiss who acted as
porter, who went on and announced
me to some one, who forthwith came
out from a room and made me- !: wei,
come. .''
This some one was kindlylook-
ing, small, slightly: deformed lady,
who came up and kissed mesa yingg+ ingg+
J., "Good gracious can you tbe Geor.
giana's daughter2 My dear child
you're as old as she was when I saw
her last" Then she hustled about 9
little, rang bell, and finally sent me-
to my room, under the care of he1
own maid, Percival.
Before any of my fears and short
comings can be accepted by the read
er as natural, it must be fully under.
stood that, though I was a town-bred
girl, I had seen nothing Of "society.'
I had lived a Bohemian life with nv
brother till he married, and after his
marriage I had lived in absolute quiet
with his wife; SO now I had not q
single precedent to go upon at: the
Towers, nothing but my womanly
instincts, and I feared that these
might prove insufficient.
For example, I felt abject before
Pereival, as she, after haSing had my
box unstrapped by a subordinate
proceeded to unpack it. 1 knew
what it contained, and knew what
she would think of what it contained
and wished I hadn't come to the
Towers in breath. Then I wished
she would speak to me; and then
remembered that it was not her part
to volunteer speech. And then ]
looked in the cheval-glass, and saw
myself reflected at full length, and
wished, askingly, that I was not *
much more substantial- looking thar
that brilliant apparition in velvet
and grebe who had met the other bril-
liant apparition at the station. .
Presently some tea in a grayish
white cup and some shavings of breac
and butter were brought to me,-s
deep, fat armchair having been pre-
viously wheeled round to the fire, ant
table placed beside it, by Percival
Then that oppressive person announc
ed her intention of leaving me for al
hour, till it was time to come bacl
and dress for dinner, and I was lef
alone.
Alone at last !-and how very small
/ felt, to be sure, in that lofty room
whose corners were lost in shade, 70
all the wax-candles that were lavish
ly burning themselves away for m,
enlightment on the mantel-piece an
dressing-table. What a mantel-piec
it was, too !-carved into a hundre
quaint conceits and Aowery fancies, i
such rich-looking dark oak. AS I 50
there, tired, and warm. and excited,
began to make out stories for; th
many ladies of the house of Pomfrt
who must have sat where I was si1
ting now, and warmed themselves i
other days.
Those other days,-ahl how th
romance of them grew upon and b
wildered me as I sat lost in the deptl
Of the armchair, looking round .
the dressing-table that was so dife
ent from anything I had lever seen b.
fore-out of Wardour Street. N
muslin covered its big carved Ca
legs;-no little fanciful arrangeme,
of quilted ribbon and. futed lace RI
round its border. a. It. stood uncove
ed in its dark, hard beauty; for
know it to have possessed that latt1
4 attribute, now that / am aware thl
!; Gibbons imagination and hand bo1