Merkland; or Self Sacrifice

“BUT may not Mrs. Catherine’s visitor belong to another family? The name is not uncommon.�“You will permit me to correct you Miss Ross. The name is by no means a common one; and there was some very distant connexion I remember between the Aytouns and Mrs. Catherine. I have little doubt that this girl is his daughter.�“Mother! mother!� exclaimed the first speaker a young lady whose face naturally grave and composed bore tokens of unusual agitation. “It is impossible; Mrs. Catherine considerate and kind as she always is could never be so cruel.�“I am quite at a loss for your meaning Anne.�“To bring her here—to our neighborhood� said Anne Ross averting her eyes and disregarding her step-mother’s interruption “where we must meet her continually where our name which must be odious to her will be ringing in her ears every day. I cannot believe it. Mrs. Catherine could not do anything so barbarous.�Mrs. Ross of Merkland threw down her work and pushed back her chair from the table:“Upon my word Anne Ross you turn more absurd every day. What is the meaning of this?—our name odious! I should not like Lewis to hear you say so.�“But Lewis does not know this terrible story� said Anne.fiction novel classic letter of Lewis story life family