The Argosy — page 318: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Arabella. 301 ation of the Centaur ; but, as soon as she could, Lady Arabella reined in the mare, and turned her, prancing and rearing, with all her impish tricks fully roused, back to the spot where the accident occurred. The unfortunate marquis was trying to raise himself from the earth. His eyes met the lady’s: each recognized an implacable foe. She looked past the wounded man, gazed, for an instant, upon the quivering frame of the expiring filly, then regarded her own steed. Not a scratch had befallen the mare. Without a word, or another glance at the prostrate Frenchman, she put Spitfire at her speed, and vanished down the alley. Presently her groom appeared in view, but he was too much occupied getting within sight of his mistress to notice any other mundane object. Of course, before night, the story was all over Paris. If the Marquis had been inclined to keep the affair quiet, he could not have done so. But he had no such desire. Gallant son of Gaul though he was, the blonde beauty’s cold-blooded disregard of the consequences of her recklessness upset his self-control. The victim was at once buried, and over her grave was placed a wooden monument, with this inscrip- tlon:— fe ‘‘FAUVETTE, aged four years and eight months. Murdered, May toth, 18—, by Lady Arabella Grahame, Englishwoman.” The grave was at Montmorenci, and the curiosity-devoured Parisians rushed in shoals to read the epitaph, abuse the British nation, and scatter garlands over the tomb of Fauvette. The Marquis submitted with tolerable patience to the decrees of the doctors, lay in bed, nursed his shoulder, and meditated some sweet revenge. Everybody was interested in his state, except the Lady Arabella. She played with her bear, rode Spitfire, and made no sign. Wherever she appeared people stared at her as if she were a Frankenstein monster; but she seemed all unconscious; and even Mrs. Mocourt dared not hint a word of reproof, or name the subject in her presence. To add to the scandal, the history of her first meet- ing with the Marquis in the Highlands was narrated and enlarged, until the mildest form it took was, that she had set her wolf-dog on him, challenged him to a duel, and when he refused, fired a pistol at him. ‘The encounter in the Bois de Boulogne was decided to be a deliberate attempt at assassination. _ De Cherville recovered from his hurt, but his wounded spirit was by no means healed. He flung gallantry to the winds. Supported by the unanimous verdict of his friends, he resolved to treat the creature philosophically under the circumstances. Sending his lawyer to the lady’s residence, he demanded payment for the filly. Lady. Arabella chanced to be in the court-yard, feeding her bear, when the lawyer arrived and explained his business. “Show him here,” said the irate daughter of the Grahames, when (C(O) am Cc 6) QO) QO) (CO)