Jack Scudamore's Daughter; A Domestic Story (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IIL HONEST JACK SCUDAMORE. Day after day passed by, and Arthur Calver- ley was perfectly aware that he was progressing towards convalescence. He was as satisfied with his quarters as with his treatment. He had become reconciled to the harsh physiognomy of Sister Gudule; for he was obliged to acknowledge that, despite the repellent expression of her face, there never was a more skilful or a more attentive nurse. The most nourishing viands were provided for him, though fasting as well as other habits of self-denial rigidly prevailed among his pious entertainers. The superior visited him every day, and conversed with him more kindly at each visit, evidently desirous of gratifying every reasonablewish he might express. She never again alluded to his mother; but there could be 110 doubt that the youth was treated by her with so much confidence in consequence of his near relationship to the friend of her youth. More than once he attempted to turn the conversation in this direction, but found that she carefully avoided all reference to worldly topics connected with her personal history. This reserve, natural as it was, served only to increase the mystery in which all that related to her and her interesting community seemed to be involved, consequently Arthur Calverley could do nothing but speculate, which in truth he did with as fruitful an imagination as ever was possessed by a youth of seventeen. The convent-pupil did not again approach him, but he found opportunities of seeing her every day; indeed many times a-day and night also, without her being aware of it. By going out of his chamber, which was Sister Grudule's cell, he was able to look into the oratory, where the nuns assembled to perform their devotional exercises,and could always observe that fair young fac...