It was addressed in a scholarly hand to Miss Madeline Churchill , and Amelia Kent took it in . Amelia had been Miss Madeline 's `` help '' for years and had grown grey in her service . In Amelia 's loyal eyes Miss Madeline was still young and beautiful ; she never doubted that the letter was for her mistress . Nobody else there was ever addressed as `` Miss Madeline . '' Miss Madeline was sitting by the window of her own room watching the sunset through the elms and reading her evening portion of Thomas à Kempis . She never liked to be disturbed when so employed but she read her letter after Amelia had gone out . When she came to a certain paragraph , she turned very pale and Thomas à Kempis fell to the floor unheeded . When she had finished the letter she laid it on her lap , clasped her hands , and said , `` Oh , oh , oh , '' in a faint , tremulous voice . Her cheeks were very pink and her eyes very bright . She did not even pick up Thomas à Kempis but went to the door and called Lina . `` What is it , Auntie ? '' asked Lina curiously , noticing the signs of unusual excitement about Miss Madeline . Miss Madeline held out her letter with a trembling hand . `` Lina , dear , this is a letter from the Rev. Cecil Thorne . It -- it is -- a proposal of marriage . I feel terribly upset . How very strange that it should come so soon after our talk this morning ! I want you to read it ! Perhaps I ought not to show it to anyone -- but I would like you to see it . '' Lina took the letter and read it through .
It was unmistakably a proposal of marriage and was , moreover , a very charming epistle XXXXX its kind , albeit a little stiff and old-fashioned .
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