The Honorable Miss

The Honorable Miss

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Title: The Honorable Miss A Story of an Old-Fashioned Town
Author: L. T. Meade
Illustrator: F. Earl Christy
Release Date: May 7, 2005 [EBook #15778]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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HONORABLE MISS ***

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[Illustration: Cover]

THE HONORABLE MISS
A Story of an Old-Fashioned Town
BY
L.T. MEADE
AUTHOR OF "THE YOUNG MUTINEER," "WORLD OF GIRLS,"
"A VERY NAUGHTY GIRL," "SWEET GIRL GRADUATE," ETC.

NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS
===================================================
====================
L.T. MEADE SERIES
UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME
By MRS. L.T. MEADE
Bunch of Cherries, A. Merry Girls of England. Daddy's Girl. Miss
Nonentity. Dr. Rumsey's Patient. Palace Beautiful. Francis Kane's
Fortune. Polly, a New-Fashioned Girl. Gay Charmer, A. Rebels of the
School. Girl in Ten Thousand, A. Sweet Girl Graduate, A. Girls of St.
Wodes, The. Their Little Mother. Girl of the People, A. Time of Roses,
The. Girls of the True Blue. Very Naughty Girl, A. Heart of Gold, The.
Wild Kitty. Honorable Miss, The. World of Girls. How It All Came
About. Young Mutineers, The. Little Princess of Tower Hill.
_Price, postpaid, 50¢ each, or any three books for $1.25_
HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
===================================================
====================

THE HONORABLE MISS.
* * * * *

CHAPTER I
.
BEATRICE WILL FIT.
"So," continued Mrs. Meadowsweet, settling herself in a lazy, fat sort
of a way in her easy chair, and looking full at her visitor with a
complacent smile, "so I called her Beatrice. I thought under the
circumstances it was the best name I could give--it seemed to fit all
round, you know, and as he had no objection, being very easy-going,
poor man, I gave her the name."
"Yes?" interrogated Mrs. Bertram, in a softly surprised, and but slightly
interested voice; "you called your daughter Beatrice? I don't quite
understand your remark about the name fitting all round."
Mrs. Meadowsweet raised one dimpled hand slowly and laid it on top

of the other. Her smile grew broader.
"A name is a solemn thing, Mrs. Bertram," she continued. "A name is,
so to speak, to fit the person to whom it is given, for life. Will you tell
me how any mother, even the shrewdest, is to prophecy how an infant
of a few weeks old is to turn out? I thought over that point a good deal
when I gave the name, and said I to myself however matters turn
'Beatrice' will fit. If she grows up cozy and soft and petting and small,
why she's Bee, and if she's sharp and saucy, and a bit too independent,
as many lasses are in these days, what can suit her better than Trixie?
And again if she's inclined to be stately, and to hold herself erect, and
to think a little more of herself than her mother ever did--only not more
than she deserves--bless her--why then she's Beatrice in full. Oh! and
there you are, Beatrice! Mrs. Bertram has been good enough to call to
see me. Mrs. Bertram, this is my daughter Beatrice."
A very tall girl came quietly into the room, bowed an acknowledgment
of her mother's introduction, and sat down on the edge of the sofa. She
was a dignified girl from the crown of her head to her finger-tips, and
Mrs. Bertram, who had been listening languidly to the mother, favored
the newcomer with a bright, quick, inquisitive stare, then rose to her
feet.
"I am afraid I must say good-bye, Mrs. Meadowsweet. I am glad to
have made your daughter's acquaintance, and another day I hope I shall
see more of her. I have of course heard of you from Catherine, my
dear," she added, holding out her hand frankly to the young girl.
"Yes. Is Catherine well?" asked Beatrice, in a sweet high-bred voice.
"She is well, my dear. Good-bye, Mrs. Meadowsweet. I quite
understand the all-roundness and suitability of your choice in the matter
of names."
Then the great lady sailed out of the room, and Beatrice flew to the
window, placed herself behind the curtain and watched her down the
street.
"What were you saying about me, mother?" she asked, when Mrs.
Bertram had turned the corner.
"I was only telling about your name, my dearie girl. He always gave me
my way, poor man, so I fixed on Beatrice. I said it would fit all round,