United States or Central African Republic ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In point of fact, Sibylla Verner had no resources within herself; and she made up for the want by indulging in her naturally bad temper. Where were they? Where was Decima? Where was Lucy? Above all, where was Lionel? Sibylla, not being able to answer the questions, suddenly began to get up a pretty little plot of imagination that Lucy and Lionel were somewhere together.
Decima had hastened forward to welcome Sibylla. Decima was one who, in her quiet way, was always trying to make the best of surrounding circumstances not for herself, but for others. Let things be ever so dark, she would contrive to extract out of them some little ray of brightness. Opposite as they were in person, in disposition she and Jan were true brother and sister.
You shall see them, Decima: he calls you my future wife, Lady Hautley. Oh, my darling! what a long, cruel separation it has been!" Ay! far more long, more cruel for Decima than for him. She was feeling it bitterly now, as the tears poured down her face. Sir Edmund placed her in a chair.
"Of course; that's just like Decima!" crossly responded Lady Verner. "She is everlastingly at something or other, doing half the work of a servant about the house." Lionel made no reply. He knew that, but for Decima, the house would be less comfortable than it was for Lady Verner; and that what Decima did, she did in love. "Will you go to the station?" he inquired. "I! In this cold wind!
Upon which she proceeded to the chamber she had been shown to as hers, to dress; a process which did not appear to be very elaborate by the time it took, and then she went downstairs to find Lady Verner. Lady Verner had not quitted Lionel. She had been grumbling and complaining all that time. It was half the pastime of Lady Verner's life to grumble in the ears of Lionel and Decima.
"If that mistress-ship is there such a word? ever comes to pass, I shall not be the master of it." Lucy looked pleased. "That is just what Decima says. She says it to Lady Verner. I wish you would go to them." "So I will. Good-bye. I shall not come in again. I have a hundred and one things to do this afternoon." He took her hand and held it.
Lucy Tempest, in her favourite school attitude, was half-kneeling, half-sitting on the rug before the fire; but she rose when Lionel came in. Decima entwined her arm within his, and led him up to the fire-place. "Did you bring mamma bad news?" she asked. "I thought I read it in your countenance." "Very bad, Decima. Or I should not have sent you away while I told it."
"Of course she is not to blame according to you, Miss Verner! You were not to blame, were you, when you rejected some one we knew of? Not the least doubt that you will take her part! Young Bitterworth wished to have proposed to you; you sent him away as you send all and refuse to tell me your motive! Very dutiful you are, Decima!" Decima turned away her pale face.
"Not walk!" exclaimed Lionel. "Where is she?" "She is in the store-room, sir; where it happened." Lionel went to the store-room, a small boarded room at the back of the hall. A young lady sat there; a very pretty white foot in a wash-hand basin of warm water, and a shoe and stocking lying; near, as if hastily thrown off. "Why, Decima! what is this?" She lifted her face.
"My lady wouldn't let Miss Decima come out in it," thought Wigham to himself, as he drove on. The words of my lady, "as tall as a giantess," unconsciously influenced the imagination of Lionel Verner. The train was steaming into the station at one end as his carriage stopped at the other. Lionel leaped from it, and mingled with the bustle of the platform.
Word Of The Day