She ran up at once to the electric bell
and pressed the button for quite a quarter of a minute. A maid servant
came quickly to answer the summons. She thought Miss Heath had sent
for her and stared at the excited girl.
"I want to see Miss Heath," said Priscilla. "Please ask her to come to
me here. Say Miss Peel wants to see her-- Priscilla Peel wants to see
her, very, very badly, in her own sitting-room at once. Ask her to
come to me at once."
The presence of real tragedy always inspires respect. There was no
question with regard to the genuineness of Priscilla's sorrow just
then.
"I will try and find Miss Heath, miss, and ask her to come to you
without delay," answered the maid. She softly withdrew, closing the
door after her. Priscilla went and stood on the hearthrug. Raising her
eyes for a moment, they rested on a large and beautiful platinotype of
G. F. Watts' picture of "Hope." The last time she had visited Miss
Heath in that room Prissie had been taken by the kind vice-principal
to look at the picture, and some of its symbolism was explained to
her. "That globe on which the figure of Hope sits," Miss Heath had
said, "is meant to represent the world. Hope is blindfolded in order
more effectually to shut out the sights which might distract her.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253