Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

| They were both lovers of art, and had stopped to admire the same picture, when Helena had made | some remark which showed her thorough apprecia- tion of the work, and to which her grace had re- sponded by a smiling commendation of so intelligent a eriticism. This led to further conversation, and Helena, without knowing the rank of her companion, yet recognizing the fact that she was a cultured wolnan, took pains to shine at her best. | The duchess was charmed with her, and, by a few adroit inquiries, learned that the fair American was an iumate of the same hotel where she also was a | guest. The next morning her grace sent her eard to Mrs. Stewart's rooms, requesting the pleasure of her own and her daughter’s company on a visit to the Bar- barini Palace. Mrs. Stewart was astonished; Helena was de- lighted at this attention from so distinguished a per- son. Of course they went, and the result was that the beautiful girl became a prolegee of the noble and kind-hearted duchess, who was exceedingly fond of young people, and never so happy as when acting the part of chaperone to them. She had learned, upon inquiry, that Mrs. Stewart was a wealthy American widow, who had been traveling abroad for two or three years; that she belonged to a fine old family, and was a woman who would grace any society. An intimacy sprang up between the two women, and they continued there travels in company; and when Lord Nelson Hartwell, her grace’s idolized graudson and the heir presumptive to the dukedom and estates of Osterly, joined them laterat Florence, Mrs. Stewart, with a fond mother’s ambition, decreed in her heart that Helena should yet weap the straw- berry leaves upon her imperial head.