The Argosy — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

326 A Secret of the Sea. place people only knew it, I have no doubt that cleverness has Its dis- advantages, like every other exceptional quality. Besides, it would not do for us all to be clever: in that case the world would soon become intolerable. I think a moderate quantity of brains, and a large amount of contentment, is the best stock-in-trade to get through life with.” “Hear! hear!” cried Byrne, from aus easy-chatr. ‘‘ My sentiments exactly.” Miriam looked gloomy. ‘ Now you are making fun of me,” she said. ‘¢ No, indeed,” returned Gerald, earnestly. ‘*T don’t know why the girl should always be raving about wanting to be clever,” said Byrne, addressing himself to Gerald. ‘She has plenty of good looks, and ought to be content. Five women out of six have neither brains nor good looks—though they will never believe that they haven't got the latter,” added the old cynic, under his breath. ‘¢Oh, yes, I know that I’m good-looking,” said Minam, naively, but not without a touch of bitterness. ‘‘ People have told me that ever since I can remember anything. Besides, I can see it for myself in the glass,” with an involuntary glance at the Venetian mirror hanging opposite. ‘Then why are you always dissatisfied—always flying in the face of Providence?” growled Byme. ‘ What are your good looks given you for, but that some man with plenty of money may fall in love with you, and make you his wife? ” ‘Why not send me to the slave-market at Constantinople?” said Miriam, bitterly. ‘“‘I daresay that I should fetch a tolerable price there.” Gerald thought it time to change the conversation. ‘‘Do you come in contact at all with Van Duren?” he said to Byrne. ‘*We have seen more of him to-day than we saw yesterday, and more of him yesterday than previously. He is gradually learning to overcome the native bashfulness of his disposition,” added Byrne, with a sneer. “Then he has not shrouded himself altogether from view?” said Gerald. ‘Not a bit of it. What he would have done had I been living here with a wife instead of a daughter, I can’t say. But the fact is, he seems inclined to admire Miriam.” The old man sat staring at Gerald with a twinkle in his eye, as he finished speaking. Gerald was at a loss to know in what way it was expected that he should greet such an item of news. So he merely fell back on a safe, though unmeaning, “Oh, indeed !” But Miriam, gazing into the fire, either had not heard, or did not heed her father’s words. GOH GIOo SS (CO)