Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Helen looked eagerly out of the carriage window for the first view of Clarendon Park. It satisfied, it surpassed her expectations. It was a fine, aristocratic place :—ancestral trees; and a vast expanse of park; herds of deer, yellow and dark, or spotted, their heads, appearing in the distance just above the fern, or grazing near, startled as the carriage passed. Through the long approach, she caught various views of the house, partly Gothic, partly of modern architecture; it seemed of great extent and magnificence. All delightful so far; but now for her own reception. Her breath grew quick and quicker as she came near and nearer to the house. Some one was standing on the steps. Was it General Clarendon ? No ; only a servant. The carriage stopped, more servants appeared, and as Helen got out, a very sublime-looking personage informed her that " Lady Cecilia and the general were out riding—only in the park—would be in immediately." And as she crossed the great hall, the same sublime person informed her that there would be still an hour before dinner-time, and inquired whether she would be pleased to be shown to her own apartment, or to the library ? Helen felt chilled and disappointed, because this was not exactly the way she had expected things would be upon her arrival. She had pictured to herself Cecilia running to meet her in the hall. Without answering the groom of the chamber, she asked, " Is Lady Davenant out too P " No ; her ladyship is in the library." " To the library then directly." And through the antichamber she passed rapidly, impatient of a momentary stop of her conductor to open the folding-doors, while a man, with a letter-box in hand, equally impatient, begged that Lady Davenant might be told " The general"s express was waiting." ...