[Gutenberg 29581] • The Bondwoman

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1899 Original Publisher: Rand, McNally Subjects: Fiction / General Fiction / Classics Fiction / Historical Fiction / Literary Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. Mrs. McVeigh found herself thinking of the young Marquise very often. She was not pleased at the story with which she had been entertained there; yet was she conscious of the fact that she would have been very much more displeased had the story been told by any other than the fascinating girl-widow. "Do you observe," she remarked to the Countess Helene, "that young though she is she seems to have associated only with elderly people, or with books where various questions were discussed ? It is a pity. She has been robbed of childhood and girlhood by the friends who are so proud of her, and who would make of her only a lovely thinking-machine." "You do not then approve of the strong-minded woman, the female philosopher." "Oh, yes;" replied Mrs. McVeigh, dubiously; "but this delightful creature does not belong to that order yet. She is bubbling over with enthusiasm for the masses because she has not yet been touched by enthusiasm for an individual. I wish she would fall in love with some fine fellow who would marry her and make her life so happy she would forget all the bad laws of nations and the bad morals of the world." "Hum! I fancy suitors have not been lacking. Her income is no trifle." "In our country a girl like that would need no incometo insure her desirable suitors. She is the most fascinating creature, and so unconscious of her charms." Her son, who had been at a writing desk in the corner, laid down his pen and turned around. "My imperfect following o...