A Lost Battle [By A. Price].

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1878 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. Tiny's New Friend. Thus goes everyone to the world but I, and I am sunburnt; I may sit in a corner, and cry, heigh ho! for a husband. Much Ado About Nothing. The prophecies did not hurry to their fulfilment. The autumn days went quietly on, there were no early frosts, and the building advanced with wonderful quickness. Matthew Lennard declined the Cambridge curacy and stayed at Mallam, so that Tiny still had the privilege of stealing glances at him from the great pew on Sundays, and of listening to his melancholy voice. Mr. Perrott talked sometimes of writing to the absent rector, and making a formal complaint of the dismalness and general uselessness of his curate's ministrations. But he never did it. Tiny had no more notes and no more stolen interviews. Though she meant to be very brave, and certainly showed no signs of giving in, her poor little cheeks grew thinner and paler, her eyes sadder, her voice lower and more plaintive. There was not even a Kean to sympathise with her now. Between four and five o'clock on the last day of October, a foggy, dark afternoon, Julia Kenneth called at the Priory, and found nobody at home but Clementina. The others were gone to the neighbouring town, and were not expected back till near seven. Julia came into the drawing-room and found a low yellow flame flickering on the smart furniture, and Tiny in a handsome winter gown trimmed with velvet, which made her look a hundred years old, sitting crouched in a window with her face close to the panes and a book in her lap. She started up rather nervously as the visitor came in. Julia looked rosy and spirited. She was dressed in rough cloth, and the fog had taken all the curl out of the feathers in her hat. All alone, Tiny, and putting your eyes out? said she, i...