The Argosy — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

294 Sabrina. **So you return to Paris at the end of next month, Patience? I wish I could persuade you to remain with us.” I thought of my young cousins and stifled that hope promptly, not having the smallest rudiment of missionary feeling towards those young savages. “No, thank you, John. My income is small, as you know, and I eke it out by giving lessons.” * But we could arrange about that. The boys are sadly in want of a firm hand over them, and I am so much from home.” As he spoke a series of wild whoops filled the air, and six boys of various sizes rushed into the garden, dragging with them a young girl They were now talking at the highest pitch of their by no means musical voices, and that was a very lofty altitude indeed. ‘ Now, then, will you tell us what Cousin Miles was saying to you? You shall tell us, you know ” This from a tall lad of fourteen. ‘Yes, indeed! Nurse says you are nothing but a dependent,” shrieked a small boy in knickerbockers; and so on, ad “ibittum. I could hear no reply from the girl, the uproar was too great. “You have my final answer, John,” I said. ‘‘ Your dear boys are too much for my nerves.” ‘< So they are for Margery’s.” I should perhaps have spoken somewhat unwisely as to the neces- sity of reclining upon the couches we arrange for ourselves, but John sprang up and went towards the unruly crew, which fled at his approach like a covey of partridges. He did not return, and I could hear his voice in the house issuing orders that every boy should go to bed at once. The girl, left alone in the gathering darkness, came slowly along the path between the roses and seringa bushes. She was sobb‘ng with a weary, half-exhausted sound, like a child. I sat quite still, holding my breath till she came close to me; then I called her. “‘ Sabrina !}” She started violently. ‘‘ Nervous,” I said to myself. “I wish to speak to you, my dear,” I added aloud. She sat down beside me, silent for a while, tapping her foot rest- tessly on a clump of hen and chicken daisies : then she spoke. “You heard those boys, Miss Fothergil? It is so hard to be patient |” ‘Yes, my dear. But who is Cousin Miles?” I could not see her face in the darkness, but she answered in 2 steady voice: “A distant cousin of Mamma’s and Uncle John’ He was so good to us when she was dying; and we were so poor before Uncle John returned. He has just come here now.” I had guessed a love affair, but she spoke so simply that I changed my idea at once ; of course he was an elderly cousin. ‘‘ Those boys ought not to behave so,” I said. “You are Aunt Margery’s cousin, and I will not say any mor ECONMCOOOKS.CO