The Argosy — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

Featherston’s Story. 4I on a giggle ; and she accepted the glasses. She was evidently pleased with the offer and with the stranger. Lavinia, on the contrary, was not. The moment she saw his full face she shrank from it—shrank from him. The feeling might have been as unaccountable as that which came over her when she had been first entering the petite Maison Rouge ; but it was there. How- ever, she put it from her, and thanked him. “I don’t think I see so well with the glasses as without them ; it seems all a mist,” remarked Nancy, who was standing next the stranger. “ They are not properly focused for you. Allow me,” said he, as he took the glasses from her to alter them. ‘‘ Young eyes need a less powerful focus than elderly ones like mine.” He spoke in a laughing tone; Nancy, fond of compliments, giggled Outright this time. She was approaching forty ; he might have been ten years older. They continued standing there, watching the fishing boat, and exchanging remarks at intervals. When it had made the harbour without accident, the Miss Preens wished him good-morn- ing, and went back down the pier ; he took off his hat to them, and walked the other way. “What a charming man,” exclaimed Nancy, when they were at a safe distance. ‘IT don’t like him,” dissented Lavinia. ** Not like him !” echoed the other in surprise. ‘‘ Why, Lavinia, his manners are delightful. I wonder who he is?” When nearly home, in turning into the Place Ronde, they met an English lady of their acquaintance, the wife of Major Smith. She had been ordering in a dozen of Vin Picardin from the Maison Rouge. As they stood talking together, the gentleman of the pier passed up the Rue de Tessin. He lifted his hat, and they all, in- cluding Mrs. Smith, bowed. ** Do you know him?” quickly asked Nancy, in a whisper. “ Hardly that,” answered Mrs. Smith. ‘When we were passing the Hotel des Princes this morning, a gentleman turned out of the courtyard, and he and my husband spoke to one another. The Major said to me afterwards that he had formerly been in the—I forget which—regiment. He called him Mr. Fennel.” Now, as ill-fortune had it, Miss Preen found herself very poorly after she got home. She began to sneeze and cough, and thought she must have taken cold through standing on the pier to watch the vagaries of the fishing smack. “I hope you are not going to have the influenza!” cried Nancy, her blue eyes wide with concern. But the influenza it proved to be. Miss Preen seemed about to have it badly, and lay in bed the next day. Nancy proposed to send Flore for M. Dupuis, but Lavinia said she knew how to treat herself as well as he could treat her. GOnnGaoOo SS CO