Roxy Hastings — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

182 ROXY HASTINGS. Their little capital, although enough to dispel any fear of want for a year or more, could not be relied upon for permanent support, and while there was uncertainty as to any future additions to it, they did not dare to use it, ex- cept for the most necessary purposes. Then, with the progressing war, all the expenses of liv- ing increased rapidly, and in addition to this, the cormor- ant, Rooke, learning that they had money, brought in a bill for nearly two years’ board of Roxana, and frightened them into the payment of it, under threat of a lawsuit which should double the amount in costs. So unaccountably indeed did their little fortune diminish that Mrs. Hastings began to look, with painful forebod- ings, to a day in the near future when it would be all gone, and when they would again be living “from hand to mouth” with largely augmented expenses. “T fear we have been extravagant in dresses,” said the mother, whose conscience smote her whenever she took out her “Sunday best.” ‘“I could have done without this.” “T am sure you haven’t been extravagant, mother. Per- haps we girls have. But we were so run out of every- thing; of course it cost us a great deal—and then he en- couraged us to use our money freely.” ‘‘T wonder he has never written.” “Perhaps he has been too busy—perhaps he has been un- fortunate We cannot tell.” “We cannot depend on Mr. Lee,” the mother added. ‘He has done a great deal already, and more than most men would have done under the same circumstances.” “Of course he has; I know that,” replied Emily, ‘‘but I wish he hadn’t promised so much. I don’t like this being taken up to be dashed down again. There’s poor Tom, out of business now, and looking perfectly disconsolate.” Tom was the undeclared lover of whom mention was made in a previous number, but who had since found cour- age to propose and had been accepted by Emily on condi- tions. She would never leave her mother, she said, in her present state of poverty, but if fortune should ever smile upon any of them, enough to justify such a step, she would consent to make her lover happy. Tom Selby was patient and hopeful in general, but the recent loss of his situation, owing to the sudden suspension of the house with which he was connected, was an unex- pected misfortune, and left him quite at his wits’ end. He was a sprightly, handsome fellow of twenty-four, or thereabouts, rather short and effeminate looking, except Eomicbooks.co