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The Wide, Wide World by Elizabeth Wetherell
page 7 of 1092 (00%)
she was asleep or no, and with the half-acknowledged intent to
rouse her at all events, Ellen knelt down by her side, and
laid her face close to her mother's on the pillow. But this
failed to draw either word or sign. After a minute or two,
Ellen tried stroking her mother's cheek very gently — and this
succeeded, for Mrs. Montgomery arrested the little hand as it
passed her lips, and kissed it fondly two or three times.

"I haven't disturbed you, Mamma, have I?" said Ellen.

Without replying, Mrs. Montgomery raised herself to a sitting
posture, and lifting both hands to her face, pushed back the
hair from her forehead and temples, with a gesture which Ellen
knew meant that she was making up her mind to some
disagreeable or painful effort. Then taking both Ellen's
hands, as she still knelt before her, she gazed in her face
with a look even more fond than usual, Ellen thought, but much
sadder too; though Mrs. Montgomery's cheerfulness had always
been of a serious kind.

"What question was that you were asking me a while ago, my
daughter?"

"I thought, Mamma, I heard papa telling you this morning, or
yesterday, that he had lost that lawsuit."

"You heard right, Ellen — he has lost it," said Mrs.
Montgomery, sadly.

"Are you sorry, Mamma? — does it trouble you?"
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