Sebastian Strome (Volume 1); 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.1879 Excerpt: ... BEGINNING A LONG JOURNEY. HE reader, who will long ago have come to the conclusion that she was a very undesirable person, with vague or even scandalous notions on religious and moral subjects, will not care to follow her too closely in her various thoughts and acts during the forenoon of this day. They were not important, merely the paying of sundry small bills, and of the past month's rent; a prolonged farewell gossip with her landlady, who evinced a rather gratifying curiosity as to whither her lodger might be going; to which inquiry the lodger replied by shadowing forth a destiny in comparison with the splendours of which thefortunes of the heroines of the 'Penny Reader' would appear tame. Then there was a lunch to be eaten, whereat, also, the benevolent landlady assisted, and preoccupiedly disposed of the whole of the 'pure unsweetened' which she had counselled her lodger to procure for 'soothin' the nerves.' Finally, there was the four-wheeler to be called, and the trunk, with its imperfect lock, and its supplementary rope fastening that would not keep in place, to be hoisted on top; and, after all, the long dazing jolt and rattle to the railway-station, and the hurry and bewilderment there. She had got a first-class ticket, for there was money enough left in her purse, and she wished, if possible, to be alone. She wore her best clothes: a black silk dress, a cloak trimmed with fur, a bonnet and muff to jnatch. She had put on, also, a pair of kid gloves, which she had bought during the morning. Altogether, with her pale, tired, but expectant and still girlish face, her appearance was refined and gently attractive. Two points, at least, of her former prettiness yet remained to her: the long curving sweep of her eyelashes, and the tender unsophisticate...