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A Fair Barbarian by Frances Hodgson Burnett
page 64 of 185 (34%)

"I am glad to see you, Belinda," said her ladyship, shaking hands. "And
you also, Miss Octavia."

"Thank you," responded Octavia.

"You are very kind," Miss Belinda murmured gratefully.

"I hope you are both well?" said Lady Theobald with majestic
condescension, and in tones to be heard all over the room.

"Quite well, thank you," murmured Miss Belinda again. "_Very_ well
indeed;" rather as if this fortunate state of affairs was the result of
her ladyship's kind intervention with the fates.

She felt terribly conscious of being the centre of observation, and
rather overpowered by the novelty of her attire, which was plainly
creating a sensation. Octavia, however, who was far more looked at, was
entirely oblivious of the painful prominence of her position. She
remained standing in the middle of the room, talking to Lucia, who had
approached to greet her. She was so much taller than Lucia, that she
looked very tall indeed by contrast, and also very wonderfully dressed.
Lucia's white muslin was one of Miss Chickie's fifteen, and was, in a
"genteel" way, very suggestive of Slowbridge. Suspended from Octavia's
waist by a long loop of the embroidered ribbon, was a little round fan,
of downy pale-blue feathers, and with this she played as she talked; but
Lucia, having nothing to play with, could only stand with her little
hands hanging at her sides.

"I have never been to an afternoon tea like this before," Octavia said.
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