The Argosy — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

150 Parkwater. believed she had seen Fred Lyvett for the last time. It was very bitter. She had no love for Frederick Lyvett ; but she missed his plea- sant companionship ; and she found all her golden visions, of rising in the world as his wife, suddenly flung to the winds. Yes, it was intensely bitter. Sophia sat down in her attic and cried many tears. “What will become of me, now? I can’t live on in this wretched place! Why was I ever born?” On the return of Mr. Lyvett to London the porter and his wife were ordered into the presence of himself and of Mr. Castlerosse. They stood like culprits; Mrs, May attired in her choice black gown that she wore for cleaning, and her rusty black cap. Mr. Lyvett sternly informed them that the fact of their having inveigled his son into a clandestine intimacy with their daughter was. now known to him, and that Mr. Frederick's voyage to Valparaiso was undertaken to break off the disgrace. Terribly confused and ashamed, they knew not what to say, and in their perplexity they gathered what Mr. Lyvett had not intended to imply, for he was a man of strict veracity—namely, that Mr. Frederick was a party to the scheme, and that it was he, in especial, who wished to go away to nd himself of Sophia. The porter did venture upon a defence, as well as his confu- sion would allow—that Mr. Frederick had not not been “invaydled ” at all; that he had took to come of his own accord, and said he would come, whether or no; and he, May, humbly hoped the gentlemen would condescend to pardon him and his wife for what warn’t no fault of theirn. Mr. Lyvett's pardoning consisted in handing May a certain amount of wages in lieu of notice, and ordering them all three to be out of the house by five o’clock that evening. “TI don’t know how we are to get another home,” sobbed Mrs. May, descending to the kitchen, dissolved in grief. ‘Mr. Lyvett says that when anybody comes for a character he shall tell the reason we are sent off. Who will engage us, with a handsome girl, like you, Sophiar, on our hands, to turn young men’s heads?” “Who have done so much damage here,” complained the unfortunate porter. For indeed this was a most overwhelming blow, and he could only regard his daughter as the cause of it. ‘“‘J thought it was not all sure,” sighed poor Mrs. May. ‘‘When 2 gentleman, whose family keeps their carriages, and footmen in silk stockings, comes to lower himself down to his own servants and sit with them in their kitchen, amongst the dirty ashes, as it were, from the upstairs Gres, it’s not to be expected but what he w// take himself away. He admired Sophiar, as was easy to be seen, and I’m sure he was a well-meaning, honourable gentleman, without a ill thought; but that was all. AndI declare I don’t know which is the most to blame, him or us.” “This is not packing up,” sullenly interposed the porter. CORNICE OOS (GO)