The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-20

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he will find this place fearfully dull,
but we will try to prevent his being
too much bored
Then Mrs. Sinclair appears, and the
two ladies' start for their drive. This
recreation does not afford much solace
to Pamela. The tly-horse is jaded, the
roads are dusty, every scrap of vegeta-
ton is covered with IA gray pail, count
less char-a .bancs, full of the most
Objectionable people. meet and pas
them every hundred yards, covering
them with dust which penetrates into
their eyes, mouth and noses. Even
Mrs. Sinclair's good temp,r is tried.
On their return to the hotel there is
a crowd AMI hustle in the hall; the
London train has just brought It con-
tingent of guests. To Pamela the new
arrivals see n of the most Objectionable
type. One little man, in a rather loud
suit of clothes, pushes up against her,
ana, though he is profuSe in his
apologies, Pamela is furious, and be-
slows on him her very crushing look.
"The worst possible type of 'Arry!"
she says to her aunt, in scarcely modu-
lated accents, as they walk down the
corridor to their apartments.
Half IN hour later the gong sounds,
and Mrs. Sinclair and her most reluct-
ant niece betake themselves to the
dining-room. Miss Clifford has a very
imposing carriage; she walks down
the room in her stateliest manner,
neither looking t. the right nor to the
left. AS she seats herself, her attitude
and manner say, in the plainest posi-
bic way: Address me if you dare; L
am a lady, you are all camille; 40 not
forget this. if you please, l I'M here by
40 wish of my own, but l may divert
myself if l choose by watching your
grotesque antics" The company do
not assemble all at once, but drop in
by groups; it is nearly ten minutes be-
fore the head waiter gives the signal
for the banquet to commence. Pamela
chances coldly around her; her mind is
so thoroughly prejudicel that she looks
at every m and everything present
from the blacklist possible point of
view. There is a vacant seat next her,
thank heaven may it remain SO =
and beyond that, two girls and an
elderly man. They are rafting away
to each other in the best spirits in the
world. No doubt, thinks Pam la, this
is a fashionable and delightful gather
ing to them. What is their social
status? Daughters of a shopkeeper,
probably-quite girls of the period, at
all events. Lower down the table is a
party Of four ladies with a deaf gentle
man, at whom they al roa in turn
with a loudness and %volubility disgust
ing beyond measure to Miss Clifford.
Immediately opposite her is an old
%Sco.chman, who abuses everything, and
DULLES the walters in the brOadest
Scotch. Pamela has taken are during
the interval of wa ting to place the
salt between hers III and her aunt, that
no one may be able TO lntrude a remark
upon her through that inoffensive
medium. She has eaten a few spoon
fuls of soup, when, t, her horror. AIRY,
as she has dubbed him, comes in, with
some little noise and hustle, and takes
the chair next her. She quietly edges
away from4 him, and gradually turns
ilClotii 81 nc llCl OllOultitl Oilil 10 plC
scented to him.
"NIay I trouble you for the salt?'
he says, in a loud, cheerful voice.
Here is a contingency on which
Pamela had not reckoned.
She hands it to him in a manner
which might freeze the marrow in the
bones of a man endowed with suscepti-
bility.
"Thanks," he says, quite unabashed
"IIl put it between Is here, 50 that
shall not have to trouble you again
Pamela edges still further away from
him, and is about to take refuge in
conversation with her aunt, but, to hel
disgust, perceiyes that lady to be talking
affably, and even in an interesteJ
manner, with her next neighbor.
AIRY eats his soup with apparen'
relish, and having wiped his mouth ant
pulled his muSrache, Civ rs a good
exhaustive look at Pamela, of which
she is perfectly and Indignantly con
SciOuS.
Hotel seems pretty full" he oh
serves to her shoulder.
Pamela effects not to hear. Tn
impertinent little snob leans a triti'
nearer to her an rciterates his remark
Something must be done to stop this
Miss Clifford replies glacially, II an
II t aware" and bestowS at the sam
timea glance up n him which her Etol
cousin is wont to describe as "a regu
lar We're de Nerer."
n 49,, - l.