Catherine; A Novel (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt: ...and asking for details. Once or twice Catherine with a little amazement fancied that the wounded soldier was more thought of than the poet; at any rate it was certain that he was a greater hero to Mrs. Armstrong. She wished sometimes that Frank would exert himself a little more to be popular. It was flattering to have his prettily turned speeches bestowed upon herself, but she wanted other people to be impressed with them as well. And, disguise it as she might, it was not pleasant to feel the homely, kindly amusements she had hitherto enjoyed, treated so contemptuously. Not that Frank was illnatured. He was only intensely bored by the card-parties and the hot suppers at nine o'clock, and he could not understand why it should give offence to the hospitable entertainers to refuse persistently to attend them. Then if Catherine coaxed him into going, she was pretty certain to repent. Either he sat in a corner and yawned, or his speeches had a satirical tone of superiority about them, which she understood too well, and which kept her hot and anxious throughout the evening. Before her engagement it had all seemed delightful, and she had been as merry as the other girls over the round games, but now there was far more uneasiness than pleasure; the hours dragged so heavily that she thought the moment of release would never come, yet dreaded seeing Frank spring up, all his face expressive of a vast relief. To be sure the end was the best. For then, although it was winter, yet, if the night happened to be fine, Mrs. Armstrong preferred walking back to going in a chair, and as there was generally some one living in their direction to offer her an arm, Frank and Catherine were together under the stars, and he responsive to the changed atmosphere. It was on...