FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   >>  
ght; she was comparing circumstances, which had before escaped her attention. She recollected that Cecilia had passed her as she came into the hall, without seeming to see her, but had blushed as she passed. She remembered that the pedlar appeared unwilling to part with the box, and was going to put it again into his pocket with the half-pence; "and why should he keep it in his pocket and not show it with his other things?" Combining all these circumstances, Leonora had no longer any doubt of the truth; for though she had honourable confidence in her friends, she had too much penetration to be implicitly credulous. "Louisa," she began, but at this instant she heard a step, which, by its quickness, she knew to be Cecilia's, coming along the passage. "If you love me, Louisa," said Leonora, "say nothing about the box." "Nay, but why not? I dare say she has lost it." "No, my dear, I am afraid she has not." Louisa looked surprised. "But I have reasons for desiring you not to say any thing about it." "Well, then, I won't, indeed." Cecilia opened the door, came forward smiling, as if secure of a good reception, and, taking the Flora out of the case, she placed it on the mantel-piece, opposite to Louisa's bed. "Dear, how beautiful," cried Louisa, starting up. "Yes," said Cecilia, "and guess who it's for?" "For me, perhaps!" said the ingenuous Louisa. "Yes, take it, and keep it for my sake; you know that I broke your mandarin." "O! but this is a great deal prettier and larger than that." "Yes, I know it is; and I meant that it should be so. I should only have done what I was bound to do if I had only given you a mandarin." "Well, and that would have been enough, surely; but what a beautiful crown of roses! and then that basket of flowers! they almost look as if I could smell them. Dear Cecilia! I'm very much obliged to you, but I won't take it by way of payment for the mandarin you broke; for I'm sure you could not help that; and, besides, I should have broken it myself by this time. You shall give it to me entirely, and I'll keep it as long as I live as your keepsake." Louisa stopped short and coloured. The word keepsake recalled the box to her mind, and all the train of ideas which the Flora had banished. "But," said she, looking up wishfully in Cecilia's face, and holding the Flora doubtfully, "did you----" Leonora, who was just quitting the room, turned her head back, and gave Louisa a look, whic
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   >>  



Top keywords:

Louisa

 
Cecilia
 

Leonora

 

mandarin

 

beautiful

 

circumstances

 

pocket

 

keepsake

 
passed
 

surely


larger

 

ingenuous

 

prettier

 

banished

 

wishfully

 
coloured
 

recalled

 

holding

 
turned
 

doubtfully


quitting

 

stopped

 

obliged

 

payment

 
basket
 

flowers

 

broken

 

desiring

 

longer

 

Combining


things

 

implicitly

 
credulous
 
penetration
 

honourable

 

confidence

 

friends

 

recollected

 

attention

 

escaped


comparing

 
blushed
 

unwilling

 

remembered

 

pedlar

 

appeared

 

instant

 

smiling

 
secure
 
reception