Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXX. HAZEL’S TRIAL, The duchess went directly to Hazel. | “My dear child, how glad [ am that my son brought you to me,” she said, with great kindness, and sitting beside her. she gently took one of the girl’s hot hands in hers. ‘Take off your hat and jacket, dear, and presently you shall go and lie down; you look worn out.” The words were tender, the tone sympathetic, the gentle gray eyes full of compassion, and such Chris- tian charity to a friendless, persecuted girl, who was almost @ stranger, was too much forthe overwrought nerves and aching heart, and Hazel bowed her head upon the good woman’s shoulder, in a passionate burst of weeping, and clung to her as she would have clung to a loving mother in ber hour of need. She wept until she had strength to weep no more, the duchess clasping her in a sympathetic embrace and trying, in a low, gentle tone, to comfort her. ‘How good-you are to me, who have no claim upon you!” Hazel said at last, as she looked up with a wan smile into the noble face bending over her. “Tam very, very sorry for you, my child,” said her grace, searching those tear-laden, beautiful eyes, earnestly; ‘‘will you not open your whole heart to me and tell me all about this trouble?” “Mrs. Stewartis your friend,’ “Hazel said, sensi- tively shrinking from saying anything to reflect upon one with whom the duchess had been so intimate. She arose many degress in the estimation of her grace just on account of that simple ie “True,” she said, kindly, ‘but that nee Stabeta® eter you from giving me the facts of the ¢