Eleanor's Victory - 1863 Author:Mary Elizabeth Braddon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. . RECOGNITION. " I Thought Laura was with you," Mrs. Dar- rell said, rather sharply, as she scrutinised Eleanor's face with no very friendly e... more »yes. " She was with us until a few minutes ago," Launcelot answered, carelessly; " but she was called away to see a milliner or a dressmaker, or some such important personage in the feminine decorative art line. I don't believe that young lady's soul ever soars above laces and ribbons, and all those miscellaneous fripperies which women dignify by the generic title of their 'things'!" Mrs. Darrell frowned at her son's contemptuous allusion to the heiress. " Laura Mason is a very amiable and accomplished girl," she said. The young man shrugged his shoulders, and took up his palette and brushes. "Will you settle yourself once more in the Rosalind attitude, Miss Vincent?" he said. "I suppose our volatile Celia will be back presently." " Will you go and look for her, Launcelot ?" interposed Mrs. Darrell; " I want to speak to Miss Vincent." Launcelot Darrell flung down his brushes and turned suddenly towards his mother with a look of angry defiance in his face. " What have you to say to Miss Vincent that you can't say before me ?" he asked. " What do you mean, mother, by breaking in upon us like this, and scowling at us as if we were a couple of conspirators ? " Mrs. Darrell drew herself to her fullest height, and looked half sternly, half contemptuously at her son. His nature, in every quality weaker and meaner than her own, prompted him to shrink from any open contest with her. Dearly as she loved this selfish, handsome scapegrace, there were times in which her better sense revolted against the weakness of her affection; and at such times Launcelot Darrell was afraid of his mother. " I have a grea...« less