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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. 1866 Excerpt:...and mind. The two Lewis girls, Abigail's companions, whose father, the old plodding doctor, was called to the country as usual. Abigail felt most uncomfortable with respect to the Mainwarings and the Lewises. When Miss Margery Maiuwariua, the fat sympathetic sister of the spinsters, sat close to Mrs. Howe and whispered confidentially to her, glancing significantly at Abigail, how could Abigail tell that Miss Margery was only observing that dear Abigail was looking lovely to-night--that black lace dress never got a bit worse, and hinting, with preventive caution, that Mr. Tom Prior seemed much struck by her; ho would not get up from his seat by the young lady of the house; he had not offered to relinquish his chair to any of them, and if Mr. and Mrs. Howe did not approve of attentions in that quarter--though Miss Margery was disposed to regard Mr. Tom with favour as a very fair rising fish, particularly now that other fish were out of the sea--the present was the time to nip them in the bud. Abigail was terrified lest Miss Margery should.be taking advantage of old friendship to presume to pity her and dare to abuse Him with, 'How well she is keeping up, poor dear!' and, 'I wonder what the fellow will think?' Then the Lewises were in reality principally taken up with the bride--what she would wear; it was said she had brought over the most rechercM gpwng from Paris, but perhaps she would think them too good for an Ashley dinner; whether she would be frank and good-natured as well as beautiful, and a fortune, and have people at the Hanger, and chaperon Ashley girls occasionally to areize balls and breakfasts? If Abigail had been able to call all her wits about her, she might have judged that the story of Humphrey Bingham and Abigail Howe was already out of dat...