Henriettas Wish

Henrietta's Wish

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Henrietta's Wish, by Charlotte M.
Yonge (#28 in our series by Charlotte M. Yonge)
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Title: Henrietta's Wish
Author: Charlotte M. Yonge
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5124] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on May 5, 2002]
Edition: 10

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HENRIETTA'S WISH ***

This Project Gutenberg etext of Henrietta's Wish by Charlotte M Yonge
was prepared by Sandra Laythorpe, [email protected] A web
page for Charlotte M Yonge will be found at
www.menorot.com/cmyonge.htm. Thanks to the Victorian Women
Writers Project at Indiana University for generating this public domain
eBook.

HENRIETTA'S WISH; OR, DOMINEERING
by
Charlotte M Yonge

CHAPTER I
.

On the afternoon of a warm day in the end of July, an open carriage
was waiting in front of the painted toy-looking building which served
as the railway station of Teignmouth. The fine bay horses stood
patiently enduring the attacks of hosts of winged foes, too
well-behaved to express their annoyance otherwise than by twitchings
of their sleek shining skins, but duly grateful to the coachman, who
roused himself now and then to whisk off some more pertinacious
tormentor with the end of his whip.
Less patient was the sole occupant of the carriage, a maiden of about
sixteen years of age, whose shady dark grey eyes, parted lips, and
flushed complexion, were all full of the utmost eagerness, as every two
or three minutes she looked up from the book which she held in her
hand to examine the clock over the station door, compare it with her
watch, and study the countenances of the bystanders to see whether

they expressed any anxiety respecting the non-arrival of the train. All,
however, seemed quite at their ease, and after a time the arrival of the
railway omnibus and two or three other carriages, convinced her that
the rest of the world only now began to consider it to be due. At last the
ringing of a bell quickened everybody into a sudden state of activity,
and assured her that the much-desired moment was come. The cloud of
smoke was seen, the panting of the engine was heard, the train
displayed its length before the station, men ran along tapping the doors
of the carriages, and shouting a word which bore some distant
resemblance to "Teignmouth," and at the same moment various
travellers emerged from the different vehicles.
Her eye eagerly sought out one of these arrivals, who on his side, after
a hasty greeting to the servant who met him on the platform, hurried to
the carriage, and sprang into it. The two faces, exactly alike in form,
complexion, and features, were for one moment pressed together, then
withdrawn, in the consciousness of the publicity of the scene, but the
hands remained locked together, and earnest was the tone of the "Well,
Fred!" "Well, Henrietta!" which formed the greeting of the twin brother
and sister.
"And was not mamma well enough to come?" asked Frederick, as the
carriage turned away from the station.
"She was afraid of the heat. She had some business letters to write
yesterday, which teased her, and she has not recovered from them yet;
but she has been very well, on the whole, this summer. But what of
your school affairs, Fred? How did the examination go off?"
"I am fourth, and Alex Langford fifth. Every one says the prize will lie
between us next year."
"Surely," said Henrietta, "you must be able to beat him then, if you are
before him now."
"Don't make too sure, Henrietta," said Frederick, shaking his head,
"Langford is a hard-working fellow, very exact and accurate; I should
not have been before him now if it had not been for my verses."
"I know Beatrice is very proud of Alexander," said Henrietta, "she
would make a