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Manners, J. Hartley, 1870-1928

"Peg O' My Heart"

"
"Mebbe it is," replied Peg. "But I don't see why the COMMON PEOPLE
should have ALL the decency and the aristocracy NONE."
"It is impossible to talk to you. I was foolish to have stayed here.
You don't understand: you never could understand--"
Peg interrupted:
"Why, I never saw ye excited before:--not a bit of colour in yer
cheeks till now--except TWICE. Ye look just as ye did when Mr. Brent
followed that OLD and RESPECTED custom on yer hand," cried Peg.
Ethel answered, this time, excitedly and indignantly, giving full
and free vent to her just anger:
"Be good enough never to speak to me again as long as you're in this
house. If I had MY way you'd leave it this moment. As it is--as it
is--" her voice rose almost to a scream: her rage was unbridled.
What more she might have said was checked by the door opening and
Jarvis showing in Jerry.
Jerry walked cheerfully and smilingly into the roam and was amazed
to find the two young ladies glaring at each other and apparently in
the midst of a conflict.
All power of speech left him as he stood looking in amazement at the
combatants.


CHAPTER VIII
THE TEMPLE OF FRIENDSHIP

Ethel was the first to recover her equanimity.
She came down the steps, greeted Jerry with a genial handshake,
asked to be excused for a moment, and after halting the departing
Jarvis she went over to the writing-desk, opened the envelope, added
a postscript, addressed a new envelope, put the augmented epistle
inside it, sealed it, handed it to Jarvis, saying:
"Send that at once.


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