Adrienne Hope; The Story of a Life (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.1866 Excerpt: ... Adrienne's was not a nature to do anything by halves, to shrink from any responsibility she undertook. She had suffered acutely from the uncertain moodiness of Lord Charles during the early part of her visit, suffered both in her affection and her pride. The deep peace which had followed the avowal of his love and her own, seemed to mellow her whole being, to add a richness and fulness to person, voice, and manner. Miss Reay's sharp eyes were among the first to notice the subtle change; but even the least observant could not fail to see that there was a change, and many were the compliments she received on her improved health and appearance, and the perfect condition of her splendid voice. By the aid of the light Lord Charles had thrown upon the subject, and possibly too by the aid of the light which had dawned upon her own heart, Adrienne noted day by day and almost hour by hour, unmistakable signs of devotion on the part of Mr. Harcourt, (or the Squire, as with her Devonshire habit she still continued to call him), towards Lady Florence, and of pleased acceptance on hers. Why, she wondered, was there no open avowal. In this case there could be 110 opposition. Mr. Harcourt was in every way a suitable match for the Marquis's daughter, and personally he was evidently a favourite both with father and sons. Lord Charles was right, if Florence, the frank, honesthearted woman of the world, saw no harm in a private understanding with her lover, a gratification of some whim of her own or of both, surely there could be no shadow of harm if she and Lord Charles, loving each other truly and faithfully--to avoid trouble and annoyance to him, trouble and annoyance which would arise from purely conventional ideas, having no foundation in any real unfitness between them-...