The Argosy — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

A Secret of the Sea. 163 “Oh, I believe Olive satisfied herself thoroughly as to the respect- ability both of Mr. Pomeroy and his connections.” Mr. Kelvin smiled grimly at the idea of Olive Deane getting more information about himself out of Jack Pomeroy than that individual was inclined to give; but, as we have already seen, Olive never troubled herself with any such useless details. “If women would but refrain from meddling with matters that they don’t undersiand, what a blessing it would be!” said Kelvin to himself. “'What was it that you said just now about Olive and this fellow Pomeroy?” he asked, presently. “Why, simply this: that I rather fancy Olive has contracted a pen- chant in that quarter. It is simply my fancy, and I may be quite mistaken.” Mr. Kelvin shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘ Of course she is old enough to choose for herself,” he said, ‘‘ and, as a rule, I think she is quite capable of taking care of herself; but if she should ever fall in love, I should like it to be with a man that one knows something about, and not with a mere adventurer.” “‘T can’t help thinking that you are a little too hard on Mr. Pomeroy. It is a long time since I was so taken with anyone as I was with him. A modest, sensible, well-informed young man, I set him down as: and a gentleman withal, or else I don’t know what a gentleman is.” ‘“‘T suppose we men of law see with different spectacles from anybody else,” said Matthew. ‘‘ Suspicion is part of our stock-in-trade.” ‘I was certainly very much taken with Mr. Pomeroy,” returned Mrs. Kelvin. “ But at the same time my suspicion with regard to Olive made me interest myself more in his case than I should otherwise have done.” Mrs. Kelvin was not 2 woman to readily abandon any point that she had set her mind on carrying. Before bidding her son good-night she won from him a promise that he would do his best to obtain for Mr. Pomeroy the coveted situation. Olive Deane was quite aware that her cousin would be greatly annoyed when he came to ascertain what had been done during his absence, and she wisely left to his mother the task of telling him. Certainly she would have been anything but satisfied—anything but pleased—had she heard the conversation between her aunt and her cousin. ‘The reference to a possible liking on her part for Pomeroy would have touched her pride to the quick. Very, very different was the feeling at work deep down in her heart. Mrs. Kelvin, in fact, had been altogether mistaken with regard to the reasons which had induced Olive to accept the situation of governess to Lady Dudgeon’s children. Olive had no option but to accept it—or felt that she had not. When Lady Dudgeon made her the offer, and when her aunt said, ‘‘ It would be a capital situation for you,’ and were KS (GO)