But as time went on, and Beatrice began to understand more of the
great world, she had an instinctive idea of the truth. It came
to her by slow degrees. Her father had married beneath him, and
her mother had no home in the stately hall of Earlescourt. At
first violent indignation seized her; then calmer reflection told
her she could not judge correctly. She did not know whether Lord
Earle had left his wife, or whether her mother had refused to
live with him.
It was the first cloud that shadowed the life of Lord Earle's
beautiful daughter. The discovery did not diminish her love for
the quiet, sad mother, whose youth and beauty had faded so soon.
If possible, she loved her more; there was a pitying tenderness
in her affection.
"Poor mamma!" thought the young girl--"poor, gentle mamma! I
must be doubly kind to her, and love her better than ever."
Dora did not understand how it happened that her beautiful
Beatrice wrote so constantly and so fondly to her--how it
happened that week after week costly presents found their way to
the Elms.
"The child must spend all her pocket money on me," she said to
herself.
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