Red Rose and Tiger Lily
rose colour still filled the sky in the west. There was a tender new moon, lookin
hair, of a much lighter shade of brown, was coiled in close folds round her well-shaped head. Her lips were slightly compressed, her chin showed determination. Hester had not been beautiful as a child, and she was not beautiful as a girl, but her face was pleasant to loo
the gravel behind, a
, father?" s
is hour in your thin house shoes, and with nothing
howed her even and pretty white teeth; "and I certainly shan'
as a reserved and almost repellent person, but now, as his eyes rested on his young daughter, something
," he said; "but you always were of a turbulen
spoke of his wife, then she quickly
shall welcome Nan back from school? Nan comes to-night-Annie Forest to-morrow
raised
it is that Mrs. Willis, who is supposed to be such a splendid instructor of youth, should not have brought Nan a little better into control. Now, you, my dear Hetty, are very different. You have passions and feelings-no one has them more strongly-but you keep them in check. Your reticence and your reserve please me much. In short, Hester, no father could have a more admirable daughter to live wi
ver yet could say 'No' to Nan. Father, don't you hear the carriage wheels? S
the smooth roll of wheels. A landau drawn by a pair of horses had even now entered the lodge gates. Hester, looking up, heard some gay voices, some childish lau
ntermingling of ejaculations, kisses, commands, e
n to the house. I'm not getting in again. Aren't you glad to see
you happen to come to-night? I didn't expect you until to-morrow. I was wondering how I could endure the next twen
feel so wild and excited that I'm sure I shall be just as troublesome as I used to be before you tamed me down at school. Now th
ut don't let us stand here talking any longer, or father will take it into his head that I am catching cold in t
ittle face looked as charming as of old. She was a very pretty child, and promised to be a beautiful woman by-and-by. Her beauty, however, was nothing at all beside the radiant sort of loveliness which Annie Forest possessed.
st to pay your long, long promised visit," she continued, looking at Annie. "Well, here we are at ho
nt; her quick footsteps flew down the long corridor, she pushed open the baize door which sepa
eked old woman of between si
h dear, eh dear, I meant to be down on the front steps to greet you, Miss Nan. Eh, but you look bonny, and let me
ome, and when she wants a kiss more than anything else in the world? Now, nursey, sit down in that
ome home and took the housekeeping over. I was in a mortal fret before,
"you always were a dear ol
didn't fret without reason, y
? You know I'm an awfully curi
uriosity was the sin of Eve, and it's best to nip it in the bud while you're yo
k the shady hat in which she had traveled, a
ed, breathing a very soft one on
se, "they're like fresh
six more if you tell m
admiringly
how I can't resist you. There's no fear now of anything happening, so you needn't be in a taking; but
eeper, do you mean?" Nan's brow
ohn must have their comforts, and a house without a mistress isn't as it ough
new wife for father. Why, she-she'd
to you, Miss Nan. Oh, my word! and there's the gong, so supper is ready, and Sir John won't like to be kept waiting. Let me brush out your hair, I won't be a min
y changing Nan's travel-stained frock for a white o
e said, giving the lit
of possible trouble filled her sweet eyes. A new wife-a possible stepmother! Oh, no, by no possibility c