The Argosy — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 263 Mr. Dalrymple was puzzled. ‘Why could you not he seen, there or anywhere else, in a dress you have worn before ?” ‘““ Because nobody else is.” “Then what becomes of all the new gowns ?” inquired the won- dering man. ‘For goodness’ sake do not keep on calling them ‘ gowns.’’ ‘“ Dresses, then. What becomes of them ?” ‘‘OQh—they do for the country. Some few, by dint of re-trimming, can be made look new for town. You don’t understand ladies’ dress, Oscar.” | ‘““T have said I do not.” “Neither ought you,” added Selina, crossly. ‘‘We do not worry ourselves to interfere between you and your tailors, or pry into the shape and make of your waistcoats and buttons and things, and we do not expect to have it done by us.” “Selina, let your grievance come to an end. I do not like to heagr this tone of reproach.” “Then you must retract what you said last night. It wasas if yoy wanted me never to have a new dress again.” ‘Nay, Selina, I only reminded you how small our income was, You must not aperlonk that.” “Don’t be foolish, Oscar. Do you fear Iam going to ruin you? What’s the cost of a few dresses? I wwust have one for Lady Burn- ham’s féte.” “My dear, have what you like, in reason,” he said, in the inno- cence of his unconscious heart: “ you are the best judge. Of course I can trust you.” The words were as the sweetest music in her ear. She sprang up, dancing to a scrap of a song. “You dear, good Oscar! I knew you were never going to be an old griffin. I think I must have that lovely green-and-white gauze. — It was the most magnificent dress. I was divided between that and a lemon-coloured damask. T’ll have the gauze. And gauze dresses cost nothing.” “Nothing P” ‘Next to nothing.” Selina flew up stairs. She pulled aside the “sheets and table- cloths,” and glanced underneath. It was a goodly stock of robes ; but yet not all the stock: for the lace, and muslin, and flimsy gauze, and delicate white, and delicate pearl, and delicate pink, and delicate other shades, were reposing in drawers, out of sight, between folds of tissue paper. Barége and balzarine: satin, plain and figured ; velvet; silk, plain, damask, flowered, shot, corded, and of all the colours of the rainbow. Beautiful dresses ; and yet—new, and rich, and elegant as they were, Selina Dalrymple could not go to the féte without a new one! Away die went to Madame Damereauw’s. Astonishing that renowned artiste by the early hour of her visit. CORnNICOOOKS. EO