The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

Featherston’s Story. 117 the place was as much Ann’s as hers. The more Lavinia saw of him the more she disliked him; which was perhaps unreasonable, since he made himself agreeable to her in social intercourse, though he took care to have things his own way. If Lavinia’s will went one way in the house and his the other, she found herself smilingly set at naught. Ann was his willing slave ; and when opinions differed she sided with her husband. It was no light charge, having a third person in the house to live upon their small income, especially one who studied his appetite. For a very short time Lavinia, in her indignation at affairs generally, turned the housekeeping over to Mrs. Fennel. But she had to take to it again. Ann was naturally an incautious manager ; she ordered in delicacies to please her husband’s palate without regard to cost, and nothing could have come of that but debt and disaster. That the gallant ex-Captain Fennel had married Ann Preen just to have a roof over his head, Lavinia felt as sure of as that the moon occasionally shone in the heavens. She did not suppose he had any other refuge in the wide world. And through something told her by Ann she judged that he had believed he was doing better for himself in marrying than he had done. The day after the marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fennel were sitting on a bench at Dover, romantically gazing at the sea, honeymoon fashion, and talking of course of hearts and darts. Suddenly the bridegroom turned his thoughts to more practical things. ‘‘Nancy, ‘how do you receive your money — half-yearly or quarterly?” asked he. “Oh, quarterly,” said Nancy. ‘It is paid punctually to us by the acting trustee, Colonel Selby.” ‘Ah, yes. Then you have thirty-five pounds every quarter.” ‘¢ Between us we do,” assented Nancy. “ Lavinia has seventeen pounds ten, and I have the same; and the Colonel makes us each give a receipt for our own share.” Captain Fennel turned his head and gazed at her with a hard stare. ‘You told me your income was a hundred and forty pounds a year.” ‘Yes, it is that exactly,” said she, quietly; ‘‘ mine and Lavinia’s together. We do not each have that, Edwin; I never meant to imply ” Mrs. Fennel broke off, frightened. On the Captain’s face, cruel enough just then, there sat an expression which she might have thought diabolical had it been anyone else’s face. Anyway, it scared her. ‘‘What is it?” she gasped. Rising rapidly, Captain Fennel walked forward, caught up some pebbles, flung them from him and waited, apparently looking to see where they fell. Then he strolled back again. * Were you angry with me?” faltered Nancy. ‘Had I done any- ‘* My dear, what should you have done? Angry?” repeated he, in COnmicloooel —_— SS (CO