The Ogilvies Author:Dinah Maria Mulock Craik 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: talked of her as a :: clever woman "—" a blue "—" an extraordinary creature "—" a woman of mind ;" and somehow the girl had pictured to herself a tall, masculine... more », loud-voiced dame. Therefore she was agreeably surprised at seeing before her a lady—certainly not pretty, nor young, except in her attire—but, nevertheless, graceful, from her extreme smallness and delicacy of figure; there was nothing outrA in her appearance except a peculiar style of head-dress, which set off the shape of her face to much advantage. This face was not remarkable for an intellectual expression, though the features evidently perpetually struggled to attain one. In spite of her semi-tragic glances, compressed lips, and fixed attitudes, Mrs. Lancaster never could succeed in appearing a genius; but was merely an agreeable-looking, stylish little lady. In that character Katharine was not in the least afraid of her. She felt the light touch of the jewelled fingers, and listened to the blandest and best-modulated welcome that female lips could utter, until the girl's prevailing sentiments were those of intense relief, deep admiration, and undying gratitude towards Mrs. Lancaster. Immediately afterwards a pale young man, who stood behind the lady, timidly and silently shook hands with Katharine's parents, and then, to her infinite surprise, with herself. " Who is that gentleman ? I don't know him " said Katharine, in a whisper, to Hugh. " Why did not mamma introduce me—and why did he not speak 1" " Oh ! it is only Mr. Lancaster, Mrs. Lancaster's husband," answered Hugh, with a scarcely perceptible smile. "He rarely speaks to anybody, and nobody minds him at all." " How very odd ! " thought Katharine : whose idea of a husband—when the subject did occupy her mind—was of some noble being to whom the ...« less