The Argosy — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

\. A Crists in his Life. 129 visits to this person, this Sophie Chalk ? What does he purpose? Is it marriage ?” Mamnage ! Bill and I both looked up at him. “¢ She is married already, sir. Did you not know it?” ‘¢ Married already! Who says so?” So I told him all about it—as much as I knew—and that her husband. Mr. Everty, had been to Oxford once or twice to see her. “ Well, that’s a relief,” cried Mr. Brandon, drawing a deep breath, as though a fear of some kind had been lifted from his mind. And then he fell into a reverie, his head nodding incessantly, and his yellow handker- chief in his hand keeping time to it. “Tf it’s better in one sense, it’s worse in another,” he squeaked. ‘’'Todhetley’s in love with her, I suppose !” ‘‘ Something hike it, sir,” said Bill. ‘‘ What brainless fools some of you young men can be!” But it was then on the stroke of nine, when Old Tom would peal out. Mr. Brandon hurried us away : he seemed to understand the notions o University life as well as we did: ordering us to say nothing to Tod, as he intended to speak to him on the morrow. And we concluded that he did. Tod came stalking in during the afternoon in a white rage with somebody, and I thought it might be with old Brandon. The time passed. Mr. Brandon stayed on at the Mitre as though he meant to make it his home for good, and was evidently watching. Tod seemed to be conscious of it, and to exist in a chronic state of irritation. Sophie Chalk stayed on also, and Tod was there more than ever. The affair had got wind somehow—I mean Tod’s infatuation for her—and was talked of in the colleges. Richardson fell ill about that time: at least, he met with an accident which confined him to his bed: and the play at Mrs. Everty’s was not much to speak of : I did not go, Mr. Brandon had interdicted it. Thus the time went on, and Passion Week was coming 1n. ‘“ Are you running for a wager, Johnny Ludlow?” I was running down to the river and had nearly run over Mr. Brandon, who was strolling along with his hands under his coat-tails. It was Saturday afternoon, and some of us were going out rewing. Mr. Brandon came down to see us embark. As we all stood there, who should loom into sight but Sophie Chalk ! She was leading a little mouse-coloured dog by a piece of red tape ; one that Fred Temple had given her; and her shining hair was a sight to be seen in the sunlight; Tod walked by her with his arms folded. They halted to talk with some of us for a minute, and then went on, Madam Sophie giving old Brandon a saucy stare from her wide-open blue eyes. He had stood as still as a post, giving never a word to either of them. connichooks (C(O) VOL, XV. K