The Argosy — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

My First Situation. 145 before I had time to feel sure that I was not a second Cinderella being whirled away in the Prince’s carriage to unknown regions of bliss. But no, it was I myself, Margaret Alford, travelling along in a luxurious carriage, drawn by a pair of splendid black horses, trot- ting along as fast as they could on the road to Woltersdorf. Not long and the little roadside inn came in sight. It looked very commonplace in the broad sunlight, yet the recollections of last night made me shudder a little on passing it. A little while longer and we were at Woltersdorf. We drew up at the little post-house. There stood Jacob ready to water the horses. He did not recognise the occupant of the carriage, for the sun was in his eyes, but off went his cap in an instant to the carriage and the horses. In ten minutes the coachman was ready to start again, and we were soon bowling along the splendid roads, from which last night’s storm had cleared all the dust. II. SUNSET again, and with it the coachman points out Castle Dahls- burg before us, with a background of hill and forest. An imposing edifice it looked, and it brought back the reality of life to me with a rush. It was Cinderella going home after the ball. No more in- dependence ; no more travelling about in luxurious carriages; no more will of my own. I must become a dependent—there lay my- destination close before me. Entering a governess’s career looks so easy in the distance, but it is so very thorny in reality ! My heart beat loudly as we approached the gates of Schloss Dahlsburg. The building was large and massive, forming three sides of a large quadrangle, with a grass plot in the middle. We- rattled in over the stones, making a great deal of noise. I wished that my entrance might have been more modest. But soon all my thoughts were centred on my coming reception by some ladies who came out on to the steps as we turned in at the gate. ‘They think friends are coming—what a pity for me,” I thought, skrinking back into my corner. ‘‘ How I wish I were at home again!” And then we stopped, and two young girls of about fourteen and sixteen ran down the steps and opened the carriage door. “Welcome to Dahlsburg,” said a voice in English, with a very: foreign accent. ‘‘My dear Miss Alford, how glad we are to see you at last!” And my hand was taken as I reached the steps by the lady who had spoken. She was tall and statel,, with a kind face and very sweet manner, ‘* Marie,” she called out to the elder of the young girls: ‘‘ Marie, bring in Miss Alford’s shawls, dear child, and order her trunks to be brought up to her room at once.” Then I knew that I had got to the Countess Dahlen at last, and all my anxieties and fears vanished before her kind face on the doorstep there and then, never to return. VOL, XXX. L CONNIClOO© SS (CO) mn ==)