The Argosy — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

304 Lady Arabella. was, that Lady Arabella discovered what was going on, and descended, — like an enraged Juno, on the august junta, when it was assembled for the purpose of concocting a suitable epistle. ‘You are writing a letter to the Marquis de Cherville,” said she, and the instant the assembly heard her voice it trembled. The tone was ominously calm. When Lady Arabella paused, the family knew she might be coaxed; but when she spoke with that slow coldness, the family had learned it would be safer to trifle with a lion, or any other wild animal of which she might chance to make a passing favourite. The Earl shook in his shoes. ‘“My dear, I thought—we all thought ‘‘T beg none of you will weary yourselves by so unusual an effort,” interrupted Lady Arabella, sweetly, as her noble relative broke down. “This,” said the Earl, making a dash at his dignity, “is—is a matter in which the family honour is concerned. You—you really must permit us to—to act, my love.” : “The family honour!” quoth she. ‘When was honour grafted on the ancestral tree? Much Jack yonder knows about it.” Jack was a titled cousin, with many aristocratic follies written down against his name. ‘‘T wonder ii Mary would like to talk of it?” pursued her ladyship. Mary was a marchioness, who had not lived with her legal master for some years, and of whom ill-natured people said that if her private diary could be printed, it would be the oddest chronicle since the days. of Louis XIV. Both Jack and Mary were present. She, the marchioness, burst into a flood of hysterical tears; the other women gathered sympathetically about her, and there would have been a very trying scene if that blunder- ing Jack had not thrown dirty water over her from a bouquet-glass 3 m his bewilderment. The ladies flew at him for his awkwardness; the marchioness called him several names which had no place among his ancestral titles. Lady Arabella interrupted the tempest. “One moment,” said she. ‘ You can follow up your private quarrels at any time, good people! Just now I am the person under considera- tion, and I want my affairs settled before I leave the room. What have you to say further, Lord Faulconbridge?” she asked, turning to her uncle. | ‘Tf you would only be reasonable !” greaied the earl. “And Ia Grahame!” returned she. ‘‘ My dear uncle, don’t expect impossibilities.” Her jest encouraged the family to think she was giving way. A faint chorus of expostulation was resumed, which she checked uncere- moniously. “eG “Ah, you want war!” said she. ‘ Well, you shall have it.” Gomicbooks.co m