The Argosy — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

Rupert's Choice. 193 good birth and that there was nothing wrong about them, except poverty, which in this case could be of no consequence whatever. Mrs. Loraine did and said all that was kind and unselfish, and at once invited Miss Herries and her parents to come to pay a visit at Helmsleigh. But Colonel Herries was an invalid and could not visit, and his wife and daughter could not leave him at the same time ; there- fore Rosamond, otherwise “ Mona,” must come alone. It was rather a formidable visit for all parties, and she was to arrive in the afternoon of the day on which Rupert had gone over to Clevelands. I was very glad to be staying at Helmsleigh at this time, for I was deeply interested in all that concerned the happiness of both mother and son. All that we knew about Miss Herries was that she was the eldest of a large family, that'she was two-and-twenty, and was tall, slight, and dark-haired. Rupert would show no photograph of her. “ Horrid things—only fit for the fire—none of them do her justice!” It was pleasant in these modern days to see that he was genuinely in love; the expression of it might be couched in queer phrases, and even in slang, but it was quite evident that his Mona had won his whole heart, and from that I augured well. For Mrs. Loraine’s sake, even more than for Rupert’s, I was anxious to see Miss Herries. I longed to see the friend who had gone through such depths of trouble find in her son’s wife a loving daughter who would appreciate her, and delight in making her life bright and pleasant. Nothing would ever make Rupert otherwise than kind and affectionate to his mother, but a wife’s influence might greatly affect her happiness. To me, Mrs. Loraine was an unusually interesting person ; but she was peculiar. Handsome, clever, and cultivated, and accustomed from child- hood to be a person of importance, and both flattered and deferred to, she was yet curiously shy and diffident as to her own powers of winning affection, and the stiffness produced by this shyness was often mistaken for pride. She was eagerly enthusiastic, very sensitive and impulsive, and generous almost to folly ; yet, with it all, she was too clever and sensible not to see through attempts to impose upon her, as soon as she- allowed herself to think coolly. She was rashly lavish of assistance,. of sympathy and affection, according as she fancied her friends to need them ; and then was quick to see and feel, too late, that all her warm. feeling and delicate generosity had been wasted. Knowing all this, I could not but be anxious to ascertain that Miss Herries was likely to understand her. I watched her all day, scarcely knowing whether to be touched or amused by her proceedings. She had selected for Miss Herries the prettiest room in the house, with a lovely view over the park, and she was in and out of it all day, adding to its attractions. She selected quite a library of such books as she herself valued, to place in the bookshelves; she gathered the prettiest flowers to make bouquets for the table ; she changed a commonplace engraving for a pretty water- VOL. XIX. _ SS (CO) N ECOMniclooe