A few days' trial satisfied her as to Christie's capabilities

　　A few days' trial satisfied her as to Christie's capabilities, and,relieved of that anxiety, she gave herself up to her social duties,leaving the ocean and the governess to make the summer wholesome andagreeable to "the darlings."Mr. Fletcher, having tried all sorts of pleasure and found that,like his newspaper, there was "nothing in it," was now paying thepenalty for that unsatisfactory knowledge. Ill health soured histemper and made his life a burden to him. Having few resourceswithin himself to fall back upon,rolex submariner replica watches, he was very dependent upon otherpeople, and other people were so busy amusing themselves, theyseemed to find little time or inclination to amuse a man who hadnever troubled himself about them. He was rich, but while his moneycould hire a servant to supply each want, gratify each caprice, itcould not buy a tender,fake uggs boots, faithful friend to serve for love, and askno wages but his comfort.

　　He knew this, and felt the vain regret that inevitably comes tothose who waste life and learn the value of good gifts by theirloss. But he was not wise or brave enough to bear his punishmentmanfully, and lay the lesson honestly to heart. Fretful andimperious when in pain,Home Page, listless and selfish when at ease, his oneaim in life now was to kill time, and any thing that aided him inthis was most gratefully welcomed.

　　For a long while he took no more notice of Christie than if she hadbeen a shadow, seldom speaking beyond the necessary salutations, andmerely carrying his finger to his hat-brim when he passed her on thebeach with the children. Her first dislike was softened by pity whenshe found he was an invalid, but she troubled herself very littleabout him, and made no romances with him, for all her dreams were ofyounger, nobler lovers.

　　Busied with her own affairs, the days though monotonous were notunhappy. She prospered in her work and the children soon believed inher as devoutly as young Turks in their Prophet. She devisedamusements for herself as well as for them; walked, bathed, drove,and romped with the little people till her own eyes shone liketheirs, her cheek grew rosy, and her thin figure rounded with thepromise of vigorous health again.

　　Christie was at her best that summer, physically speaking, forsickness had refined her face, giving it that indescribableexpression which pain often leaves upon a countenance as if incompensation for the bloom it takes away. The frank eyes had asofter shadow in their depths, the firm lips smiled less often, butwhen it came the smile was the sweeter for the gravity that wentbefore, and in her voice there was a new undertone of that subtlemusic, called sympathy, which steals into the heart and nestlesthere.

　　She was unconscious of this gracious change, but others saw and feltit, and to some a face bright with health, intelligence, and modestywas more attractive than mere beauty. Thanks to this and her quiet,cordial manners, she found friends here and there to add charms tothat summer by the sea.

　　The dashing young men took no more notice of her than if she hadbeen a little gray peep on the sands; not so much, for they shotpeeps now and then, but a governess was not worth bringing down. Thefashionable belles and beauties were not even aware of herexistence, being too entirely absorbed in their yearly husband-huntto think of any one but themselves and their prey. The dowagers hadmore interesting topics to discuss, and found nothing in Christie'shumble fortunes worthy of a thought,adidas jeremy scott, for they liked their gossipstrong and highly flavored, like their tea.