The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Trial, by Charlotte M. Yonge

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Title: The Trial
or, More Links of the Daisy Chain

Author: Charlotte M. Yonge

Posting Date: July 19, 2009 [EBook #3744]
Release Date: February, 2003
First Posted: August 15, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRIAL ***

Produced by Sandra Laythorpe. HTML version by Al Haines.

THE TRIAL

or

MORE LINKS OF THE DAISY CHAIN

by

CHARLOTTE M. YONGE

CHAPTER I

Quand on veut dessecher un marais, on ne fait pas voter les
grenouilles.--Mme. EMILE. DE GIRADIN

'Richard? That's right! Here's a tea-cup waiting for you,' as the
almost thirty-year-old Incumbent of Cocksmoor, still looking like a
young deacon, entered the room with his quiet step, and silent greeting
to its four inmates.

'Thank you, Ethel. Is papa gone out?'

'I have not seen him since dinner-time. You said he was gone out with
Dr. Spencer, Aubrey?'

'Yes, I heard Dr. Spencer's voice--"I say, Dick"--like three notes of
consternation,' said Aubrey; 'and off they went. I fancy there's some
illness about in the Lower Pond Buildings, that Dr. Spencer has been
raging so long to get drained.'

'The knell has been ringing for a little child there,' added Mary;
'scarlatina, I believe--'

'But, Richard,' burst forth the merry voice of the youngest, 'you must
see our letters from Edinburgh.'

'You have heard, then? It was the very thing I came to ask.'

'Oh yes! there were five notes in one cover,' said Gertrude. 'Papa
says they are to be laid up in the family archives, and labelled "The
Infants' Honeymoon."'

'Papa is very happy with his own share,' said Ethel. 'It was signed,
"Still his own White Flower," and it had two Calton Hill real daisies
in it. I don't know when I have seen him more pleased.'

'And Hector's letter--I can say that by heart,' continued Gertrude.
'"My dear Father, This is only to say that she is the darlint, and for
the pleasure of subscribing myself--Your loving SON,"--the son as big
as all the rest put together.'

'I tell Blanche that he only took her for the pleasure of being my
fath