They Met by Chance; A Society 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. 1873. Excerpt: ... ing for the ladies. It was an English landau, that most convenient of vehicles, lined with darkgreen cloth, the liveries of driver and footman being of the same color. It bore the Underhill monogram on the door-panels and on the gilt harness of the sleek-coated horses; and the young ladies went down to it in the most bewitching of hats, the jauntiest of jackets, the daintiest of gloves. "Mamma," cried Fay, at the parlor-door, "Come, aren't you going?" "No, dears, I can't go this morning. I am busy. You can go without me, can't you?" "Of course--only we'd rather you were along." "I'd like to go," said Mrs. Underhill, " but it is impossible this morning. Take good care of yourselves." Jo, the dapper little footman, stood with the carriage door in his hand, waiting patiently. Jo was a slim, black-eyed little fellow, straight as a ramrod, who had been a jockey in his youth; how old he was, no one knew; his hair was sparse, he had tiny side-whiskers, fine teeth and a big mouth with which he was always grinning. The Underhills called him privately Sam Weller. The young ladies sank back into the deep, luxurious cushions, and Jo touched his hat and asked " Where to, if you please, ladies?" "Where shall we go first, Cornelia?" asked Fay. "Why, let's go to Dortch's first; they say her new hats are lovely. I must have a new hat at once--this is a fright." No one would have suspected it to look at it; but as Cornelia Cornwallis said so, of course it must be so. Fay gave Jo the milliner's number in Broadway and off they drove. The weather was superb. The sun shone with sufficient warmth to render all cumbersome wrappings unnecessary, and yet not enough to cause one a single reminder of the fatal work he had been doing all through the summer months. The streets were te...