The Argosy — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

76 My Cousin Caroline's Wedding. ‘Only a rap for my presumption in asking if a briefless wight might venture to show himself at the house of Mrs. Fitzhenry.” ‘‘ And Caroline says ‘ No,’” he rejoined, laughing. ‘‘ Caroline intimates as much. It was only asked in jest, Fitzhenry.” “Then I tell you what, Ned, my boy,” he exclaimed, shaking my hands in his usual impetuous, pleasant manner ; “ I'll take upon myself to give you an invitation beforehand, and a cérdial one, too. No one shall be made more welcome than you, if you will only come to us—and the sooner the better.” ‘‘ And your wife P—allowing I took you at your word ?” ‘‘T hope and believe that my wife will start few difficulties of this nature when once she is mine.” “Fitzhenry, you are a favourite with Mrs. Dashingly and with the old priest. And possess, I believe, influence over them.” ‘““They over me, you mean.” ‘‘T wish you could persuade them to see the folly of this scheme of theirs, the placing Lina in a convent. The very idea is ridiculous. Her education is finished. If they could be induced to settle the matter amicably, it would be much more desirable, especially for Lina, than our being obliged to come to a blow-up. Will you exert your in- fluence on her behalf? ” “No, Ned,” he continued, after a pause of deliberation ; “‘ to remon- strate about it 1s clearly what I have no right todo. As to Father Peter, { don’t think he has interfered much in it: it’s Mrs. Dashingly. You will allow me to express a hope, that whatever steps may be taken with regard to your sister, they may be the means of securing her happiness.” ‘I had deemed her a favourite of yours, Fitzhenry.” -* She is so—as being nearly connected with my future wife.” . Did anybody ever happen to be in a house the day before a wed- ding? If so, they have 4cen in it—that’s all. Cutting up wedding- cake ; tying and sealing up cards; burning old billets-doux of other suitors, and laughing over their locks of hair; trying on bonnets ; twisting up wreaths ; making up favours ; packing trunks ; writing letters for the morrow’s post, announcing the happy event which will then have taken place; cooking dishes for the breakfast, till the house smells iike all the restaurants of the late Palais Royal condensed into one; ejaculating notes of admiration at the arriving presents ; overwhelming the servants with a confused mass of directions, who in return are run- ning into every corner but where they ought to run! Caroline wrote lots of letters, glad enough to be able to do so at last —she had waited for it for years. Her friends were numerous ; and all were favoured with an epistle, conveying the glad tidings. Carry was far from being jealous, that’s certain, or she would not have liked the whispered conversation between Fitzhenry and, Lina all the time she wrote, or that duet in the otherroom. It was nothing to me: CORNICLOOO SS (CO) in —_)