The Argosy — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

164 Edina, “But don’t grumble, my dears,” interposed Mrs. Raynor. “It might have been so much worse. After the strange turn our affairs took, we might now be without a roof’s shelter over our heads and a morsel of bread toeat. So far as I can see, we should have been, but for Edina.” The tears were raining down Mrs. Raynor’s cheeks. Alice started up and threw her arms round her in repentance. “Forgive me, dear mamma, forgive me! I was wrong to speak so repiningly.” “You were wrong, dear Alice. In dwelling so much upon the advantages we have lost, you overlook the mercies remaining to us, And they are mercies. We are together under one home; we have the prospect of making a good living.” “Yes,” acquiesced Charley, throwing regrets behind him. “It isa very nice home indeed, compared with what might have been.” “ And I think we may yet be happy in it,” added Mrs. Raynor. Alice strove to think so too, and put on a cheerful face. But the old days were ever present to her; and she never recalled the old hopes, connected with William Stane, but her heart turned sick and faint in its hopeless despair. “Tt will be your turn next, Charles,” observed Edina, taking the opportunity of speaking to him the following morning when they were alone. ‘“‘My turn?” repeated Charles, vaguely; fully sure that he knew what she nreant, but not choosing to know it. “To do something for yourself,” added Edina. ‘ You cannot intend to live upon your mother.” “ Of course I do not, Edina. How stupid you are!” “ And the question is, what is that something to be?” she continued, passing over his compliment to herself. ‘ T should like to go into the army, Edina,” Edina shook her head. Her longer experience of life, her habits of forethought, enabled her to see obstacles that younger people did not. ‘Even if you had the money to purchase a commission, Char- ] e ee? “But I did not think of purchasing. I should like to get one given to me.” “Ts there a chance of it?” Charles did not reply. He was standing before the window, gazing abstractedly at a young butcher boy, dashing about in a light cart for his morning orders, There was not very much chance of it, he feared, but there might be a little. “Let us suppose that you had the commission, Charley, that it arrived here for you this very day direct from the Horse Guards—or whatever the place may be that issues them,” pursued Edina. “ Would it benefit you?” * Benefit me !” comliichooks.com