Produced by Clare Graham, using scans from the Internet Archive
BY [M.E. Braddon] THE AUTHOR OF
"LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET,"
ETC. ETC. ETC.
Published by Tinsley Brothers of London in 1863 (third edition).
It was past twelve o'clock when Edward Arundel strolled into thedining-room. The windows were open, and the scent of the mignionetteupon the terrace was blown in upon the warm summer breeze.
Mrs. Marchmont was sitting at one end of the long table, reading anewspaper. She looked up as Edward entered the room. She was pale, butnot much paler than usual. The feverish light had faded out of hereyes, and they looked dim and heavy.
"Good morning, Livy," the young man said. "Mary is not up yet, Isuppose?"
"I believe not."
"Poor little girl! A long rest will do her good after her first ball.How pretty and fairy-like she looked in her white gauze dress, and withthat circlet of pearls round her hair! Your taste, I suppose, Olivia?She looked like a snow-drop among all the other gaudy flowers,—theroses and tiger-lilies, and peonies and dahlias. That eldest MissHickman is handsome, but she's so terribly conscious of herattractions. That little girl from Swampington with the black ringletsis rather pretty; and Laura Filmer is a jolly, dashing girl; she looksyou full in the face, and talks to you about hunting with as much gustoas an old whipper-in. I don't think much of Major Hawley's three tallsandy-haired daughters; but Fred Hawley's a capital fellow: it's a pityhe's a civilian. In short, my dear Olivia, take it altogether, I thinkyour ball was a success, and I hope you'll give us another in thehunting-season."
Mrs. Marchmont did not condescend to reply to her cousin's meaninglessrattle. She sighed wearily, and began to fill the tea-pot from theold-fashioned silver urn. Edward loitered in one of the windows,whistling to a peacock that was stalking solemnly backwards andforwards upon the stone balustrade.
"I should like to drive you and Mary down to the seashore, Livy, afterbreakfast. Will you go?"
Mrs. Marchmont shook her head.
"I am a great deal too tired to think of going out to-day," she saidungraciously.
"And I never felt fresher in my life," the young man responded,laughing; "last night's festivities seem to have revivified me. I wishMary would come down," he added, with a yawn; "I could give her anotherlesson in billiards, at any rate. Poor little girl, I am afraid she'llnever make a cannon."
Captain Arundel sat down to his breakfast, and drank the cup of teapoured out for him by Olivia. Had she been a sinful woman of anothe