The Argosy — page 325: what you’re looking at

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

Parkwater. 3 nr am perfectly sure she will come out of it as bright as crystal : you could not look at her,.sir, and believe otherwise.” ‘¢’'You need not talk about looks, Fred,” broke in James. “ You never could read people or countenances in your life. You know it.” “ T will answer for her perfect innocence in the affair beforehand,” repeated Frederick to his father, turning his back on James. ‘‘ What other people did was no fault of hers, sir; and I shall not allow it to make any difference in my intentions.” “Then understand me, Frederick ; you must choose between this girl and your family. If you degrade yourself by marrying her, you are no longer one of us, and you must leave the business.” ‘That's all talk,” thought Fred. ‘Said to intimidate me.” ‘“‘ Either he or I should go out of it,” added Mr. James, in a deter- mined, haughty manner. And he rose and said good-night to his father. It broke up the conference. Indeed, Mrs. Lyvett and o- daughiters entered almost immediately. On the following evening Frederick dashed up to Brompton. It was of little use his going in the day time, as Miss May was engaged. with her teaching. She was at tea. “Is it true, Sophia, that you knew of those false recommendations ?” he asked, after a confused and hurried account of what he had heard. “Oh dear no,” replied Sophia, lifting her hands in horror at the bare idea. ‘‘/ know of them ! what do you take me for? My Aunt Foxaby managed it all. A friend of hers, Mrs. Penryn, who interested herself greatly for me, wrote to Lady Langton in my favour. What she really said, I know no more than you, for I never saw the letter, but it would appear that 1t was not too clearly worded. She said, I believe, that my father had been attached to the house of Lyvett, Castlerosse, and. Lyvett; Lady Langton took that to imply that he had been a partner, and wrote to that effect to Lady Tennygal. The first intimation I had that anything was wrong was from Lord Tennygal. You may imagine my surprise. It came upon me like a blow; for it caused them to dismiss me. Nothing underhanded, much less wrong, was intended by my Aunt Foxaby and Mrs. Penryn; they would not be capable of it ; and they would both tell you so if they were not dead.” ‘“ But the letter of recommendation purporting to come from Lyvett, Castlerosse, and Lyvett?” pursued Frederick. ‘‘T never comprehended that,” acknowledged Sophia, all fair-spoken candour. “It was always a puzzle to me. My own opinion was, that no such letter was ever written : if it was, it must have been the work of some enemy who wished, me ill. I did not seek much to fathom it ; the matter altogether was too painful to me; and where was the use when my situation was gone? I’m sure I thought I should have fainted with gnef the day they turned me away. One thing alone bore me up—the consciousness of my innocence.” OQ) ©) 5 A NOOKS (CO)