Marion Arleigh's Penance / Everyday Life Library No. 5

hich none of the three had been

dale did was to insist on the rem

y wonder is that the poor girl has not fallen into some dreadful mischief.

w much eclat and importance would accrue to her from the fa

d her husband; and to do him j

d more. When my wife died I was quite at a loss what to do with her, so I sent her to school. Miss Carle

girl then?" persis

beautiful. She had been crying when I

ust have her at home at once, William.

ght go, that it was hardly necessary for him

ns of society, heiress of Hanton, and of the large fortune left by her father; we shall have some of the first me

esome. He had taken good care of her money, because he was an honorable man, but he had not thought much of

to bring their beautiful young ward home

. Though I am sorry indeed to part with her, for her own sake I am

aid Lord Ridsdale. "At seventeen most young g

e fact that in her establishment s

earnestly. "I do not believe that Miss Arle

en she does begin," t

eigh was requested to meet her guardian, Lady Ridsdale coul

etty or not?" she said afterwards to h

ing face that had all a woman's beauty with the innocence of a

said, "to look on me in the pla

me in her life imagined to herself

ong at school!" said Lady Ridsdale. "

e," she replied, with a smile so bright and sweet that Lord Ridsd

asked Marion, after they had

lied Lady Ridsdale, "and I thought y

d Marion. "I have all my life before me, an

ossibilities; they were all at an end. For the first time she felt the weight of the chain

wards Marion came

anner, "of course I never thought such happiness a

t," was the s

here and be so lonely, so sad. I have made a

ched and flattered by

ion; you shall keep the pr

delaide Lyster. She has always been very kind to me; indeed I should ha

Lady Ridsdale. "You wish, of course,

e than that. I thought I should be all alone, and I promised that when I left M

ale looked

Ridsdale has the greatest objection to that kind of thin

," she said; "but I made th

idsdale "and they no longer exist. You may, I think, in all hon

ord Ridsdale had gone to superintend some arrangemen

n will be disappointed?" s

plied Marion wincing at

her. After all, my dear, you are not in the least to blam

r, dressed in her most becoming c

ed, and then Lad

er. I find that she has promised you th

nd I have made all arran

ain. Of course, when Miss Arleigh is of age, and makes her own arrangements-forms her own household-she will do as she likes. It will

; the only idea that occurred to her was how more than useless it would be to offend Lady Ridsdale. Unless she managed to secure her good opinions there would be no invitations to Ridsdale

ill study herself and

the least objection to Miss Arleigh following out any wish or any idea that should occur to her, but that in this case it would be impossi

as a deep, silent bow

from me, she is mistaken. I wi

d by the companion's res

vacation, Miss Lyster," said Lady Ridsdale, "and we owe you a dee

intervi

a few more words,

m almost glad that circumstances do preven

he asked

o be a judge of character, and your friend's fac