The Argosy — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

3604 Beatrix. himself to Beatrix a few short weeks before. One of the windows was thrown open casement fashion, and on the low sill sat Felicia, looking like a beautiful framed picture, all golden hair, and fair white skin, and delicate pale-blue silk. Her hands were folded listlessly upon her lap, but on either cheek there burned a bright hectic spot that betokened clearly how some deep agitation was disturbing the surface of the usual calmness. “ IT have something to say to you,” she began, in a rather troubled tone. “Then suppose you say it, my dear,” Curzon suggested, calmly. He was leaning against the frame of the window, unconsciously setting off to perfection, with his magnificent height and figure, Miss Rawdon’s extreme beauty. Not that he in the slightest degree appreciated her faultless face just then. Thus admonished, however, Miss Rawdon, unwitting of his thoughts, gathered together all her energies, and plunged bravely into her self- imposed task. ‘‘Tt is this, then,” she said, hurriedly. “I do not mean to be unkind, and you must forgive me, Curzon, but—but—I am a little tired of our engagement.” After this announcement there ensued a long pause—a silence so in- tense that the very humming of some bees half a field away could be distinctly heard. Would he never speak? Miss Rawdon felt that the stillness was becoming unbearable. She glanced sideways at him, and could see that he was looking down, and had turned a dark crimson, but other symptoms of surprise or indignation there were none. He had not suffered his cigar to go out, neither had he seemed to lose his relish for it. He smoked away persistently as ever ; and how was she to know that the man’s heart beneath all this outward calmness was almost suffocating him with its wild throbbing? His coolness frightened Miss Rawdon more than all the high talking in the world could have done- Was he intent upon keeping her to this hated engagement? Ah, if it should be so ! She clasped her hands together very closely and rose. ‘You will give me up ?” she said. And he said: “I can scarcely do that, considering you have just thrown me over.” And then Felicia knew that it was all over, and she was free to marry the man she loved. He was going to be honourable, she felt, and half made up her mind to cry, but decided afterwards that it might seem undignified, and so refrained. Presently Curzon roused himself, and, knocking the ashes from his cigar, asked quietly = ‘¢ Who is the man for whose sake you have broken off with me? Is - it Arthur Dudley ?” “Yes, it 1s Arthur,” Miss Rawdon allowed, lowering her eyes, and feeling completely subdued. “Well, I hope you will be very happy with him,” her cousin said, ECoOMmicloooks (CO) in —_)