Could she, in this respect, have taken a lesson from her mother, she would have been a wiser woman.

We have said that she consorted with Mrs.Woodward as though they had been sisters; but one might have said that Gertrude took on herself the manners of the elder sister.

It is true that she had hard duties to perform, a stern world to overcome, an uphill fight before her with poverty, distress, and almost, nay, absolutely, with degradation.

It was well for her and Alaric that she could face it all with the true courage of an honest woman.

But yet those who had known her in her radiant early beauty could not but regret that the young freshness of early years should all have been laid aside so soon.
'Linda, at any rate, far exceeds her in beauty,' was Norman's first thought, as he stood for a moment to look at her--'and then Linda too is so much more feminine.' 'Twas thus that Harry Norman consoled himself in the first moment of his first interview with Alaric's wife.