Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

THE QUEEN’S BODY GUARD. 203 discuss the writing of a novel, was, to say the least, a most unusual situation. But, as I have said, Cottrell had by this time ceased to be astonished at any- thing. He simply bowed his head to show that he was all attention. The girl sat for a moment looking fixedly before her, and knitting her brow as though undecided how to begin. When she did speak, it was in a low, tremulous voice, in which were mingled many emotions. ‘The heroine of my story,” she commenced, “ is a young French girl, an orphan, of property. She is only twenty years old, and as, until her nine- teenth birthday, she lived in a convent, she 1s very ignorant of the world, and is without friends save those she left within the convent walls. Her guardian is an uncle, a retired army officer, who is as powerful socially and politically as he is unscrupulous, and his great ambition in life is that his ward shall marry his son, for his own estates are badly encumbered, “nd hers are vast and valuable. ‘‘ Unfortunately for his little scheme, the girl detests her cousin, who is a despicable, selfish wretch. Acting on his father’s cue, he makes frequent and ardent love to her, only to find himself repulsed each time. ‘“ Failing on this tack, the two schemers try another. By systematic per- secution they make her life miserable in the hope that she will finally give in to their base desire. Most of the servants in the chateau where she lives in lonely state are in their pay to keep a close watch on her and report every- thing she does. She is a prisoner in everything brt name, and so the poor little bird in her gilded cage finds that her spirit is all but broken. She would try travel but that her uncle, in the character of guardian, insists on accompa- nying her wherever she goes, and that is not to be endured. She would appeal to the law, but she knows in France that would be useless; tor what could she prove, and is not her uncle all powerful? “The girl, in her desperation, decides that she must seek aid from the outside. One day it occurs to her that she ought to have a tutor, as she is desirous of perfecting herself in English; moreover, having a turn for litera- - ture, she decides that an English secretary is exactly what she needs. And who knows, thought the lonely, unhappy girl, but that he might prove to be her knight errant—her deliverer? ‘“ But how was she to be sure that the negotiations (confined, as they must necessarily be, to mere correspondence) would result in her securing the services of the right sort of a man—a man who is both brave and chival- rous and in every sense a true gentleman? _ “Then this girl, who is fast learning to make use of her wits, has an in- spiration. She hits upon the plan of requiring all applicants to send their photographs.” Here Cottrell started with an exclamation on his lips, but the girl mo- tioned to him not to interrupt. “ By these photographs, thinks she, I vill be able to form some idea of their true characters. She makes her choice from the great batch sent. Her secretary arrives, and the moment she sees him face to face and hears him speak, she feels that indeed her choice is the right one. And now, Monsieur Henri Cottrell, I must leave it for you to decide whether the lonelv little \ COMMEOOO UN ceo