Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-05-05

/.
his last sentence was doubtless in
ended as a soliloquy, but it could not
all to hurt her She had not re-
covered herself when the dean, re-
apsing into his ordinary tone, said
And so your father was killed in the
iege of PARISH
He did not mean it unkindly, but
he was self en-grossed man, and
often quite Internationally inflicted
pain on others; the remark was toe
sudden and unexpected, however
Esperance could not bear to speak OF
her father after that unlucky sen.
tence, terribly French" The refer
ence to his death had brought back
all her sad recollections of the Both
OF November, and such yearning fol
his presence that, do what she would
she could not restrain her tears
She faltered out something inarticu.
late, and then turned appealingly tc
Cornelia.
You would like to come to your
room, would you not? I will show
gu the way
Esperance gladly followed. making
no secret of her tears as her cousin
ed her through the hall once more.
and up dark oak staircase
All the sympathy which Cornelia
showed was in the remark, "Do not
mind. 1 don't suppose my father no.
! iced you were crying" which, how
ever much it might have comforted
an English girl, was not the slightest
! onsolation to Esperance
/ She took her to her room, and left
. Ter with injunctions to be ready for
! inner in an hour; and Esperance
! hreW herself upon the bed, calling
/ espalringly to her father, and crying
; Ill she could cry no longer.
/ When she was Thoroughly exhausted
she dried her eyes, and though by no
means comforted, put her grief aside
and began to survey her new room.
t was large and bare, with curions
. Id beams supporting the ceiling.
which was SO low that she felt quite
oppressed by its nearness: an ugly
Kldderminster carpet ..lso offended
Ter eyes, and she would greatly have
preferred the uneven, red-brick floor
OF her room at Mabillon to the hide
, us combination of red white. and
yellow which Mrs. Mortlake had Sc
ected
Wearied with her short view of her
commonplace surroundings, she rose
nd went to the window. hungering
or something fresh or beautiful.
Once more an eager exclamation es-
aped her as she gazed again on the
grand cathedral; each buttress and
canopied niche, each beautifully pro-
portioned window was a new delight.
while greater distance only lent
resi- beauty to the glorious tower
The Ginning of the clock recalled
Ter to her present misery. It was
ertainly time to dress for dinner
he hated the thought of encountering
gain her most disappointing rela-
ions, and now that the first excite
ment of her arrival was over. began to
eel very tired and i'll, quite unequal
the effort of English speaking.
For the dinner she was unprepared
and therefore dreaded nothing: but
her heart sunk when, the gong having
sounded, and the solemn procession
rom drawing-room to dining-room
aiken place, she found herself in q
hot, gaslit room, with all the windows
curtained, and the beautiful sunset
light shut out
Mrs. Mortlake explained that her
ather disliked dining by daylight;
and Esperance, though she could
scarcely breathe, tried to endure it.
She was so unaccustomed to formal
meals, and had for the last year
ived in such extreme fruealitv. that
the long, substantial dinner was a
real penance to her Conversation
did not flow, and had it not been for
he slight amusement which she man
aged to derive from the awkward
waiting of the footman, and from the
many peculiarities of her cousins, she
would have been both dull and I'M
happy. AS it was, she managed 20
Triangle her yawns till at last the Or
deal was over, and the ladies returned
ng-rOOm.
Bertha at once took up a book, and
etired behind it for the evening
hrs. Mortlake and Cornelia devoted
themselves to a complete examination
Esperance. Their questions were
OF a little embarrassing, and Mrs.
Iorclake's in particular were framed
n such an uncomfortable way, that
n spite of Esperance's readiness to
ak. she found it almost impossible
o edge in a word.
For at least half an hour such a
atechism as the following was car
led on:
And your brothers name is-?'
| He is called Gaspard, my"
How old is hep"
He is just twenty, two"
! And you are-?'
j Il am sixteen, this"
Then you came to London in"
In March,
And the siege OF Paris was over
! ~
/ On the 29th of January, my cous-
n
! BY the time Mrs. Mortlake had ex-
! austed her material for questions,
i, Isperance was thoroughly exaspera-
ed, and her preference for Christabel
vas quickly put to fight. She turned
With a feeling of relief to Cornelia
ut her first question, though leaving
/