: Lucy Ellen Guernsey
: The old Stanfield house
: epubli
: 9783819052835
: 1
: CHF 0.90
:
: Erzählende Literatur
: English
: 274
: kein Kopierschutz
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
CALISTA STANFIELD stood at the gate of the old Stanfield place one morning in the latter end of May, looking abroad over the fields. The house stood on a little rise of ground such as in that part of the world is dignified by the name of a hill. The foreground of the picture on which she was looking was not very cheerful in itself, being neither more nor less than an old family burying-ground, very full of gravestones, and with one tall monument towering over all. Now an old graveyard need not be a melancholy sight, provided that the grass be kept green, the stones whole, and the enclosure free from ugly weeds. That on which Calista was looking bore traces of utter neglect. Beyond the graveyard spread fenced fields, some in pasture, others in the carefully-marked squares which showed that they were meant for sweet potatoes, or were tinted with the pale green blades of the springing corn. Low-growing oaks, with here and there a large tree, closed is the prospect.

Lucy Ellen Guernsey (August 12, 1826 - November 3, 1899) was a 19th-century American author who lived in Rochester, New York.

Miss Priscilla was sitting in an attitude of expectation, and started nervously as Calista entered. She gave a childish cry of delight as Calista laid the handkerchief open before her.

"You are a good girl, Calista—a very good girl!" said she, in a fluttered manner."Let me see—two, four, five; yes, eight guineas—and that is your grandmother's watch. You shall have it when—when you are old enough to wear it properly. School-girls don't wear watches, you know."

"But you might let me keep it, aunt," said Calista, mischievously."It would be very convenient to have in my room."

"No, no! You would lose it; or some one might steal it. You shall have it when—when you are old enough. And, mind you, don't tell any of the school-girls about these things."

"Then I am to go to school again!" said Calista.

"Why, yes—yes. You can go to the end of this term, and then we will see about it. Call Chloe; I want to go to bed. And don't you think you had better let me have that sixpence to take care of for you?"




CHAPTER TENTH.


MISS DRUETT.


CERTAINLY Miss Priscilla was disturbed"by ordinary," as Miss Jessy would have said, or she would never have gone up to bed leaving Calista below. Usually she was driven off to her room with about as much ceremony as a cow dismissed to her night's lodging. While she was setting back her chair, and wondering whether she ought to go round and see to the fastenings of doors and windows—a ceremony usually performed by Miss Druett with great care and minuteness—Miss Druett herself entered the room. She looked pale and tired, and Calista thought she had been crying, but her eyes were as bright and her lips as firm and resolute as ever.

"So you are here alone!" said she."I heard Priscilla in her room, and I thought I would come down and see to the fastenings."

"Thank you ever so much," said Calista."I was just wondering what I ought to do about it; and to tell you the truth," she added, lowering her voice,"I did not quite fancy the task of going round alone, for I could not help thinking there was someone prying about the house this evening."

"Indeed! What reason had you for thinking so? But never mind now. You shall tell me up stairs in my room, for I want a little talk with you before you go to bed. Meantime, if you are not afraid, you can go round with me and hold the light."

"Who will do this when you are gone?" said Calista, struck with the thought as Miss Druett tried the fastening of bolt and bar in the great dusky kitchen.

Miss Druett sighed."I don't know who will do a great many things," said she."I fear Priscilla will miss me more than she thinks."

"She missed you enough this evening, I am sure of that," said Calista."She almost cried because there was no one to play cribbage with her. I offered to try to learn, but I think I must be very stupid, for I could make nothing of it. However, she did not scold me, and it helped to pass away a part of the time."

"Cribbage is a very intricate game, and Priscilla never had any faculty of teaching. I think, Calista, if you are not tired, we will go through the cellars—all at least that are unlocked. I should like to make sure of them."

"What a castle of a place it is!" said