Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs, Harwood was instantly attracted toward her, and, gracious lady that she was, told her that she was glad to see her in a hearty way that left no room for doubt upon the point. Later, she saw her sitting by herself in a corner, and going to ler, she asked why she did not join the dancers. Hazel told her that she was a stranger to almost every oue, and, besides, she feared that Mrs. Stewart would not approye. Mrs. Harwood went directly to that lady and asked her permission to introduce Hazel, and to allow her to mingle freely with the company. “These little socials are to be very informal,’ she urged. ‘lt have introduced them just for the sake of giving our young people a good time, now and then, and I like to see every oné happy.” Mrs. Stewart gave her permission, although she feared that she had made a mistake, a little later, | when she saw Hazel the center of an admiring coterie of gentlemen, who were eagerly soliciting the pleas- ure of dancing with her, Lord Nelson and Charles Harwood being foremost among them; while Hazel, with flushed cheeks and shining eyes, was entertain- ing them with a grace such as an accomplished belle might envy, When Mrs. Harwood told her that she had Mrs. Stewart’s permission to mingle freely with the com- pany, she gave herself up to the enjoyment of the occasion with all her heart, just as she did every- thing, and before she knew it she forgot that she was. among the aristocrrcy of the land; she remembered nothing save that every body was delightful, that she was young and happy, and the world very beautiful. Madame Hawley had been in the habi of furans weekly receptions to her pupils, and HazéP hawt? epee