A Social Meteor — page 71: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SOCIAL METELOR. 61 appetite of not very hungry people, went on as gayly as it, could under the circumstances. They all hoped and half expected to hear Ray’s gay laugh and light foot-fall in the hall before they had finished, but in vain. Georgie felt a sense of unrest and was soon distinctly bored with Mrs. Wolcott’s nonsence and shrieks of silly laughter, while she, seeing that the others were inclined to be quiet, seemed to feel called upon to entertain them all. It was a relief to two of the party at least, when Mr. Wolcott’s carriage was announced, and the door had closed upon the last ringing peal of laughter. Lee lingered a little while, as it was not late, to look at some engravings which Mrs. Thorne had told Georgie a day or so previous to show him, and which, until he reminded her, she had for- gotten. As he sat there, looking at herand drinking in the pure loveliness of her face and form, he was filled with a longing to keep her and never let her leave him again. She seemed so sweet and noble, so capable of a life-long devotion. Never had a woman moved him as this one did; he began to wish vaguely that he had lived a better, more useful life, not that he had been any worse ® EOMICLOOOKSn€O©