Second Love, or, Beauty and Intellect; a Novel

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851 Excerpt: ... and by no means asif he intended a discussion on the subject, "The Bishop of M----is the patron, I believe?" "Yes. my lord, he is," replied Mr. Selcroft, with a movement that was very like shrugging his shoulders; and, after a moment_s silence, he added, very gravely-Lucy would have called it solemnly--" Elmland is a parish of considerable importance, and I am not without hope of being useful there by means of gradually restoring the decencies of Christian worship, which, I am sorry to say, have been sadly permitted to fall into desuetude during the ministry of the lute incumbent, who really, by what I hear, seems 'to have imagined that everything like sacred solemnity had been banished from our church services at the Reformation, by Act of Parliament. l trust that my new flock will support me in my endeavours to amend this. I say amend, my lord," he added, with a smile, "instead of reform, because, to say the truth, Inever pronounce that word, if I can help it.. _.. We have been over-reformed, my lord, in my hmnhle opinion, most lamentably over-reformed." A slight expression of surprise rested on the benign features of the bishop for half-amome t, but his only reply was an almost impe ceptible bow. Lucy looked earnestly down into her plate, as if curiously examining the structure of her dessert-fork, and nothing at all like a smile was visible, though her first feelings, on hearing thcse novel words, might have led to it, if unrestrained. But her next feeling had more of fright than of fun in it, and she would have been right glad could she have whispered in her fathers ear, " Not too fast, dear papa! Not too fast, or you will stumble!' The next occurrence which very nearly moved her to mirth, in spite ...