The lost bride; vol. 1

It now strikes me for the first time how little influence even the most marked of these events had on my character. Such, for instance, as the misery of sudden poverty, the loss...

Of the two years I passed in the convent at Paris I shall say but little--for although I made considerable progress in learning and music, no other event than an occasional lett...

On looking back on my first impression of English people in contrast to those Italians with whom I had chiefly lived, I find that I was struck with the spirit of fun, or, rather...

There were not many neighbours near Langdale Priory, and Mrs. Mordaunt often expressed great fear lest I should find it dull. Dull!--this English word “dull,” for which no exact...

In the course of our drive, Aunt Jane gave us some account of the Chandos family. Mr. Chandos had been for some years a widower, with a large family, but not a large fortune. Hi...

“Perhaps she tries to do her best,” said Aunt Jane, after a long silence, during our drive home, for neither Mrs. Mordaunt nor I had ventured to put into words any favourable im...

The following morning Aunt Jane received a letter, which, to her great dismay and annoyance, obliged her to proceed at once to London, on some urgent business connected with her...

When we went downstairs, which I did at Mrs. Mordaunt’s request, after looking in the glass to see that no traces of tears were visible, we found Mr. Mordaunt in a towering pass...

I watched the carriage till it disappeared at the turn of the road among the oaks, and then I suddenly remembered that Mrs. Chandos had said they were looking out for an Italian...

It was Carlo’s turn to write, for I had received no letter since the one I wrote soon after my arrival at Langdale Priory, and I anxiously expected to hear from him every day. N...

A few days after I sent my letter to Carlo, the long-dreaded event occurred. A special messenger arrived to inform Mr. Mordaunt that Mr. Vivian was in London, and intended to co...

After dinner there was a grand consultation about my dress, and Lady Horatia Somerton’s little daughter, Letitia, came in to assist at it. She was not at all pretty, but she had...

“Well, but you are engaged for the next quadrille to Lord Woodford, are you not?” inquired Lady Horatia; “and it will soon begin, so you had better go at once, and get a good pl...

Mrs. Mordaunt very kindly came, into my room, while I was dressing, to know how I had enjoyed my first ball. I did not seem to be able to tell her anything about it, except that...

Lady Horatia most kindly superintended my toilette for the dinner-party that day, and made me wear one of my own simple muslin dresses, which had been a little altered by Madame...

Lady Horatia then made the move for the ladies to go upstairs, and when we reached the drawing-room I found myself near the little, short-sighted old lady, Lady Charlotte Crofto...

Mr. Mordaunt fulfilled his intention of starting quite early the next morning for Langdale Priory, intending to sleep at the inn in the nearest town, and return on the following...

The ball at Lady Dalton’s that evening was of a more mixed kind than the Duke of D----’s. I saw several people making up violently to Lady Horatia, who reminded me in their spee...

Lady Horatia did not afterwards express any disapprobation at my dancing with him so often; though the day after the Duke of ----’s, she had said it was quite wrong to dance twi...

It was now the height of the season, and every night, and all day long, there were parties to which Lady Horatia took me. The pale poet gave the most delightful breakfasts, wher...

Lady Horatia sent for the nearest doctor, who said that I had caught scarlet fever. Just as the whole party was thrown into the utmost consternation at this intelligence, Mrs. M...

Some days after I had recovered my consciousness, and, thanks to Norah’s care, still retained the feeling of peace with which I had awakened to new life, Mrs. Mordaunt came into...

Our conversation on that eventful day was not half ended--I mean that I longed to ask Norah a great deal more about her engagement, or rather her affection, for Sir Alfred, when...

I have a very dim recollection of anything that happened during the next two months. Aunt Jane says that I was in a kind of stupor, from which she was afraid to arouse me. After...

The next day we drove to Castle Hall, and I was enchanted with the beauty of the Elizabethan house, and its situation among the fine woods at the bottom of a steep hill, which w...