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THE

DAUGHTER OF THE SOUTH.

BY CLARA WALBEY.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,

SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1854.

249. 4. 105.

LONDON:

Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street.

THE

DAUGHTER OF THE SOUTH.

CHAPTER I.

THE northern and eastern winds becoming more prevalent as the season advanced, Geraldine's health grew more precarious and fluctuating, her chest suffering severely from the inclemency of the weather, and she seldom appeared amidst the nightly festivities of Loder House; for the languor of indisposition, and the grief which, divested of its

VOL. II.

B

stormy luridity, floated like a vapour around her, softening and subduing the brilliant and resplendent of earth's fascinations, and robbing of their hardest outlines and most tragic colouring, the evils and afflictions of life, unfitted her to partake of and enter into pleasures and gaieties for which she had now so little taste. Sometimes she was prevailed upon by Miss Loder, to pass an hour or two of the evening in the superb saloon; and whenever she did so, she could not help experiencing some slight gratification on account of the deferential attention shown her: Sir Arthur, more courteous to her than to any one else, being foremost in these demonstrations.

"I wish, Georgiana, you would tell me the history of that gentle, mournful-looking Miss Dernevor, who like a calm, pure spirit

from another sphere, glides amidst us and departs, apparently so uninterested in, so unaffected by the trivialities so engrossing to us mere mortals," said Lady Ida Illford to Miss Loder, after Geraldine had retired early one evening to her own apartment.

"Why, it is a story that I should not, for the poor girl's sake, like to publish exactly, Lady Ida. Mr. Dernevor, her father, made such an eccentric will, it is quite uncertain whether her splendid fortune will ever be rescued from the impending grasp

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Oh, never mind her fortune, I don't care an atom about people's rent-rolls; but tell me, was she not to have been married to Assulton, of Assulton Park, near here? I remember hearing the report-how was it broken off? he's a noble fellow, it could

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