The Argosy — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

After Years of Waiting. 77 aspire to her. He was only a city man, plodding on in his close city office with his three or four clerks under him. “ How beautiful she is!” he thought, as he walked away from the house. “Just the same little Milly at heart, too, as in the dear old days. And her glances—oh, if I might dare to believe in them !— seem as true to me as they were then. But what would the world say P” That night saw him at Mrs. Granger’s: a fashionable woman, with some fashionable daughters, one of whom, Cornelia, had made a dead set at Mr. Thornbury. He stood in the hghted rooms, watching eagerly for Millicent: but It was not until very late that she arrived. As she came down the long rooms—moving as easily and gracefully as though she had been, from earliest childhood, accustomed to reign in society —a murmur of admiration followed her. She was dressed in a trailing robe of pale, silvery blue, with an over- dress of soft, white lace ; her beautiful neck and arms were bare, save for their ornaments of fretted gold; her face was untouched by paint or powder, and her vivid colouring made her beauty seem almost un- earthly as compared with some of the inane faces around her. Her black hair, elaborately dressed, was fastened here and there with droop- ing sprays of scarlet flowers, and at her bosom, looping her over-dress, and in her jewelled Jouguetiere, the scarlet buds glowed and burned. “Ts she not lovely?’ That was a question which every one felt could be answered but in the affirmative. And many an envious heart was hidden under the smiling faces which greeted her. “There is Mrs. Kathlane, Mr. Thornbury,” said Cornelia Granger, a tall, pale, ill-natured girl, to whom Rupert had been saying civil nothings for the last few minutes, and who was furiously jealous of Mrs. Kathlane in her heart of hearts. ‘You gentlemen are wild about her, I believe. Red and blue-—what excruciating taste! I wonder her maid does not teach her better.” _ “Every one has not your critical eyes, Miss Granger,” said Rupert. laughing. “I thought her dress charming.” “Of course.” Miss Cornelia was not an amiable girl, as we have said, and at that moment her temper was pinching her rather sourly. “Perhaps you make one of these who are wild over her, Mr. Thorn- bury ?” “It would be of no use to me, I expect, if I were,” replied Rupert, in his candour. “Well, I suppose not—as she is so soon to be married again.” ** Married again !” he uttered. “So report runs,” said Miss Granger, toying with her bie ‘To whom ? I had not heard of it.” ‘To Mr. Worthington: a cousin of her late husband, you know.” “Tt know him,” cried Rupert, feeling he knew not how. “ Dick Worthington’s not worthy of Aer. It would be desecration.” CONN (>) aIOOKSHEO im =)