The Argosy — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 323 | Alice entered upon her new home in London, and gravely told everybody in it that she wished to be called by her second name, Seaton. Lady Sarah laughed, and promised to humour her as often as she could recollect. In December, Colonel Hope formally adopted his nephew, Gerard. The young man threw up his post in the red- tape office (not at all a wise thing to do), and took up his abode with his uncle. They all went down to the Colonel’s place in Gloucester- shire to spend Christmas, including Frances Chenevix, who almost seemed to have been as much adopted as Gerard, so frequently was she staying with them. Christmas passed, they came to London again, and things went on smoothly and gaily until just before Easter, when a fracas occurred. Gerard Hope contrived in some way to offend the Colonel and Lady Sarah so implacably that they discarded him, and the Colonel, hot and peppery, turned him out of the house. ‘They went again into Gloucestershire for Easter, Alice with them as companion and Frances as a guest; but not Gerard. In fact, so far as one might judge, he was discarded for ever. The sweet month of June came round again, and the London season, as I have said, was at its height. Amidst those who were plunging headlong into its vanities was Selina Dalrymple. She had coaxed, and begged, and prayed her husband to give her just another month or two of it this year, assuring him she should die if he did not. And Oscar, though wincing at the cost, knowing well he could not and ought not to afford it, at length gave in. It appeared that he could deny her nothing. It may be questioned, however, whether Selina enjoyed it quite as much as she had the last. The visiting and the gaiety and the homage were as captivating as ever, but she lived in a kind of terror; for Madame Damereau was pressing for the payment of her account. If that came to Oscar’s knowledge, he would not only do to her, she hardly knew what, perhaps even box her ears, but he would be quite certain to carry her forthwith from this delightful London life to that awful prison, Moat Grange, at Netherleigh. One afternoon Oscar was turning out of his temporary home in Berkeley Street—for they had the same rooms as last year—when he saw coming towards him a young lady who walked a little lame. It was Alice Dalrymple.” “Ah, Alice!” he cried. . ‘Have yott'comei to: London :?:’ “Yes,” she replied. ‘The Colonel is better, and we left Gloucester- shire yesterday. Is Selina at home?” ‘She is, fora wonder. Waiting for somebody she intends to go out with.” ‘‘ How is she 2?” ‘““T cannot tell you how she is. Rather strange, it seems to me.” = Strange !” “Take my arm, Alice, and walk with me a few paces. There’s something the matter with Selina, and I cannot make it out,” con- COMICOOO SS (C(O) ~