The Argosy — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

Rupert's Choice. 197 IIT. THE following morning, being Friday, there was an early service in the village church at half-past eight. I walked across the park to it, but I was a little late—the vicar was just coming out of the vestry. Mrs. Loraine was already there, but I did not go up the church to her seat ; I slipped into that nearest to the door. A moment afterwards a stranger came in quietly and sat down near me. She was a tall, graceful girl, very simply dressed, but looking, in her black skirt and brown holland polonaise, thoroughly like a high-bred lady. She was rather pale, with dark hair in simple rich coils, and long dark eyelashes, which (as I saw when she turned to smile her thanks for the offer of a footstool) shaded large dark grey eyes, with an expres- sion so intelligent, sweet, and refined that I longed to know who she was. She left the church quickly as soon as the service svas over, and walked away towards the further end of the village. I asked the clerk if he knew her. ‘She'll be the new young lady that came to the Grange last night to live with Mrs. George,” was the reply. Mrs. George Loraine was the widow of a cousin of my Mrs. Loraine. George Loraine had squandered all his own fortune, and had been idle and dissipated ; but when, 1n failing health, he married the widow of a very rich iron-master, his love for Helmsleigh (which under his uncle’s guardianship had been his home in his boyhood) showed itself by his asking for a lease of the Grange for his own life and his wife's. He added, and improved, and made a charming place of it, and his widow still lived there—just outside the village. ‘‘ Mrs. George” was neither young nor handsome, but she was rich, good-natured, and “ jolly,” and no one could dislike her, though she zeas rather vulgar. She always had a ‘‘companion,” being too sociable to like living alone ; and she generally chose pretty girls, as she enjoyed taking them about with her and trying to marry them. They rarely stayed long, for she invariably began by spoiling them, and then they took liberties and were dis- missed in disgrace ; or else she fancied that they had designs on Rupert, whom she worshipped, like the rest of the world, and they were sent away to be out of his reach. But this girl looked most unfit for such a position. That se should be Mrs. George’s companion, while Mona Herries was to be Rupert’s wife! I walked back to the Manor with Mrs. Loraine, but we were silent except on village topics. Just as we reached the house, Rupert drove up in his dog-cart, which had gone to meet him at the station. Mrs. Loraine kissed her hand to him, but hurried into the house as if she thought herself late. I saw that she dreaded his questions. “‘Good morning, Job!” he called out, cheerily, as he pulled up. <§So Mona came all night !” “Ves,” I replied. EOMRniilElooe _ SS (CO) een = a ee ee ee oe eee eee