The Argosy — page 315: what you’re looking at

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

Parkwater. 301 He quitted the room, and Sophia snatched one of the candles and went to the glass to survey herself. A dissatisfied expression stole to her countenance ; but as she pushed and pulled at the braids of her hair, and stroked them in places with her finger, it changed to one of complacent vanity. The meaning of his parting sentence seemed to her clear enough: that he would be glad to renew their former footing, and address her honourably with the view of making her his wife. “ This is better luck than I dreamt of,” she said, as if talking to her image in the glass, “ and if I play my cards well—who knows?” But, as she was seated, taking her tea, reflection forced itself upon her, and her mood changed. Ought she to allow a man of honour to make her his wife? Or any man, indeed? None knew better than Sophia May that there existed grave impediments to it. She sat balancing the question in her mind. It was a knotty one, and not easily solved. “If I could make sure that he would never, never know! It was not my fault,” she passionately added; ‘‘and oh, it 1s cruel that my , whole life should be blighted through the wickedness of that one false man! Yes; if I were sure that I could keep it from him, I might venture to be Frederick Lyvett’s wife. And, once his wife, I should be sheltered from the storms of this cruel world ; all my struggles and mortifications and difficulties would be over.” Ringing the bell, she sent the tea-things away. And was about to sit down to her piano, when a knock was heard at the room-door. ‘‘ It’s that dreadful woman !” she said, with a shiver. “ AndI have not a farthing for her! I wish the floor would open and swallow her up, Come in.” The landlady entered. She had come to demand the rent owing to her. She spoke civilly, for she was a respectable wonian, and once of a superior class of life; but her tone was cold. She disapproved of some of her lodger’s ways. She believed that Miss May, who had a fair amount of teaching, could have paid regularly, if she had not been so extravagant in dress. Besides the rent, she had other debts in the neighbourhood ; as the landlady chanced to know. “Teaching is always flat in winter,” observed Miss May. ‘ Families are out of town.” The landlady thought that the class of families Miss May taught in were not out of town, but she passed over the remark. ‘‘T have come upstairs to give you warning,” she said, “ for I cannoy afford to go on in this way. It will be better for me to have the rooms empty, with the bill up and a chance of letting them, than to go on in- creasing the debt. To-morrow week I shall be obhiged to you to vacate them: and I will not stop your clothes, Miss May, which I might do, but trust to your sense of justice to pay me off by degrees.” The speaker left the room, and Sophia May fell into thought. She wasinadilemma. To leave now, might spoil the new prospe flasl i iz.