The Hand of Ethelberta

Young Mrs. Petherwin stepped from the door of an old and well-appointed inn in a Wessex town to take a country walk. By her look and carriage she appeared to belong to that gentle order of society which has no worldly sorrow except when its jewellery gets stolen; but as a fact not generally known her claim to distinction was rather one of brains than of blood. She was the daughter of a gentleman who lived in a large house not his own and began life as a baby christened Ethelberta after an infant of title who does not come into the story at all having merely furnished Ethelberta's mother with a subject of contemplation. She became teacher in a school was praised by examiners admired by gentlemen not admired by gentlewomen was touched up with accomp-lishments by masters who were coaxed into painstaking by her many graces and entering a mansion as governess to the daughter thereof was stealthily married by the son. He a minor like herself died from a chill caught during the wedding tour and a few weeks later was followed into the grave by Sir Ralph Petherwin his unforgiving father who had bequeathed his wealth to his wife absolutely.