SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 366 | Next

Burnett, Frances Hodgson, 1849-1924

"The Head of the House of Coombe"


"I must learn to remember always that I am a sort of servant.
I must be very careful. It will be easier for me to realize that
I am not in my own house than it would be for other girls. I have
not allowed Dowie to dress me for a good many weeks. I have learned
how to do everything for myself quite well."
"But Dowie will be in the house with you and the Duchess is very
kind."
"Every night I have begun my prayers by thanking God for leaving
me Dowie," the girl said. "I have begun them and ended them with
the same words." She looked about her and then broke out as if
involuntarily. "I shall be away from here. I shall not wear anything
or eat anything or sleep on any bed I have not paid for myself."
"These rooms are very pretty. We have been very comfortable
here," Mademoiselle said. Suddenly she felt that if she waited a
few moments she would know definitely things she had previously
only guessed at. "Have you no little regrets?"
"No," answered Robin, "No."
She stood upon the hearth with her hands behind her. Mademoiselle
felt as if her fingers were twisting themselves together and the
Frenchwoman was peculiarly moved by the fact that she looked like
a slim jeune fille of a creature saying a lesson. The lesson opened
in this wise.
"I don't know when I first began to know that I was different from
all other children," she said in a soft, hot voice--if a voice
can express heat.


Pages:
354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378