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Warner, Susan, 1819-1885

"Melbourne House, Volume 2"


"Lift your eyes, Daisy! your eyes! Priscilla was too much astonished not
to look at her lover. You may be even a little indignant, if you choose.
I am certain she was."
Poor Daisy--it was a piece of the fortitude that belonged to her--thus
urged, did raise her eyes and bent upon her winking coadjutor a look so
severe in its childish distaste and disapproval that there was a
unanimous shout of applause. "Capital, Daisy!--capital!" cried Preston.
"If you only look it like that, we shall do admirably. It will be a
tableau indeed. There, get up--you shall not practise any more just
now."
"It will be very fine," said Mrs. Sandford.
"Daisy, I did not think you were such an actress," said Theresa.
"It would have overset _me_, if I had been John Alden--" remarked
Hamilton Rush.
Daisy withdrew into the background as fast as possible, and as far as
possible from Alexander.
"Do you like to do it, Daisy?" whispered Nora.
"No."
"Are you going to have a handsome dress for that?"
"No."
"What sort, then?"
"Like the picture."
"Well--what is that?"
"Brown, with a white vandyke."
"Vandyke? what is a vandyke?"
"Hush," said Daisy; "let us look."
Frederica Fish was to personify Lady Jane Grey, at the moment when the
nobles of her family and party knelt before her to offer her the crown.
As Frederica was a fair, handsome girl, without much animation, this
part suited her; she had only to be dressed and sit still. Mrs. Sandford
threw some rich draperies round her figure, and twisted a silk scarf
about the back of her head; and the children exclaimed at the effect
produced.


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