Her daughters are all
in service. One of them is an under-housemaid in the service of Admiral
Bartram, at St. Crux-in-the-Marsh. I found that out from Mrs. Attwood's
master; and as soon as I arrived at the discovery, I privately
determined to make Mrs. Attwood's acquaintance. Stranger still, is it
not?"
Louisa began to look a little uneasy. Her mistress's manner was at
variance with her mistress's words--it was plainly suggestive of
something startling to come.
"What attraction Mrs. Attwood finds in my society," Magdalen continued,
"I cannot presume to say. I can only tell you she has seen better days;
she is an educated person; and she may like my society on that
account. At any rate, she has readily met my advances toward her. What
attraction I find in this good woman, on my side, is soon told. I have a
great curiosity--an unaccountable curiosity, you will think--about
the present course of household affairs at St. Crux-in-the-Marsh. Mrs.
Attwood's daughter is a good girl, and constantly writes to her mother.
Her mother is proud of the letters and proud of the girl, and is ready
enough to talk about her daughter and her daughter's place. That is Mrs.
Pages:
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000
1001
1002
1003