Her hard featured face; her masculine
readiness and decision of movement; her obstinate honesty of look and
manner, all proclaimed her border birth and border training. Though
little more than forty years of age, her hair was quite gray; and she
wore over it the plain cap of an old woman. Neither hair nor head-dress
was out of harmony with her face--it looked older than her years: the
hard handwriting of trouble had scored it heavily at some past time.
The self-possession of her progress downstairs, and the air of habitual
authority with which she looked about her, spoke well for her position
in Mr. Vanstone's family. This was evidently not one of the forlorn,
persecuted, pitiably dependent order of governesses. Here was a woman
who lived on ascertained and honorable terms with her employers--a woman
who looked capable of sending any parents in England to the right-about,
if they failed to rate her at her proper value.
"Breakfast at ten?" repeated Miss Garth, when the footman had answered
the bell, and had mentioned his master's orders. "Ha! I thought what
would come of that concert last night. When people who live in the
country patronize public amusements, public amusements return the
compliment by upsetting the family afterward for days together.
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