Prev | Current Page 210 | Next

Manners, J. Hartley, 1870-1928

"Peg O' My Heart"

Chichester as Jarvis came in reply to
the bell.
"Tell Bennett to show my niece to the Mauve Room and to attend her,"
said Mrs. Chichester to the footman. Then turning to Peg she
dismissed her.
"Go with him."
"Yes, aunt," replied Peg. "An' I am goin' to thry and do everythin'
ye want me to. I will, indade I will."
Her little heart was craving for some show of kindness. If she was
going to stay there she would make the best of it. She would make
some friendly advances to them. She held her hand out to Mrs.
Chichester:
"I'm sure I'm very grateful to you for taking me to live with yez
here. An' me father will be too. But ye see it's all so strange to
me here, an' I'm so far away--an' I miss me father so much."
Mrs. Chichester, ignoring the outstretched hand, stopped her
peremptorily:
"Go with him!" and she pointed up the stairs, on the first landing
of which stood the portly Jarvis waiting to conduct Peg out of the
family's sight.
Peg dropped a little curtsey to Mrs. Chichester, smiled at Ethel,
looked loftily at Alaric, then ran up the stairs and, following the
footman's index finger pointing the way, she disappeared from Mrs.
Chichester's unhappy gaze.
The three tortured people looked at each other in dismay.


Pages:
198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222