The Argosy — page 348: what you’re looking at

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

Court N etherleigh. 327 it may come. I’d not so much mind if I could get all the season first. The torment of it is, that Damereau is pressing for her bill. She is throwing out hints that she can’t supply me any longer on credit—and what on earth am I to do if she won’t? What a shame it is that there should be so much worry in the ) 7) world ! ‘The greatest portion of it is of our own creating, Selina. And no worry ought to have the power very seriously to disturb our peace,” the younger sister continued, in a whisper. ‘““Now, Alice, you are going to bring up some of those religious notions of yours! ‘They will be lost upon me. One cannot have one’s body in this world and one’s heart in the next.” “Oh, yes we can,” said Alice, earnestly. “We i “Well, I don’t suppose I am going into the next yet, unless I tor- ment myself out of this one; so don’t go on about it,” was Selina’s graceless reply. But as Alice rose to leave, her mood changed. ‘Forgive my fractiousness, Alice; indeed, you would excuse it if you only knew how bothered and miserable I am.. It makes me cross with myself and with other people.” ‘“‘Ma’am,” interrupted Ann, Mrs. Dalrymple’s maid, ‘‘ Lady Burn- ham 1s at the door, waiting for you.” ‘““T am not going out to-day,” answered her mistress, rising. ‘I have changed my mind.” ‘“Oh, my patience!” uttered the aaa “what's this? Why, ma’am, it’s never your bonnet ?” No man is a hero to his valet-de-chambre: I fear the same may be said of woman. ‘‘ Bother the bonnet,” was the undignified reply of Mrs. Dalrymple, as she flirted the pieces further away with her foot. Ann humbly followed them, to the far-off corner, and there took them into her hands.: ‘‘ Reach me another bonnet,” said her mistress ; ‘I think I will go, afterall. What’s the use of staying indoors ?” “Which bonnet, ma’am ?” | “Oh, I don’t know. Bring some out.” An array of bonnets, new and costly, were displayed for Mrs. Dal- rymple’s difficult choice. Alice, to whom all this was as a reve- lation, took her departure with uplifted hands and a shrinking heart. Mrs. Dalrymple went downstairs, and took her seat in Lady Burn- ham’s carriage. The latter, an extremely wealthy woman, full of pleasurable excitement, imparted some particulars she had learnt of the marriage festivities about to be held in a family of their acquaint- ance, to which they were both invited. Lady Burnham was then on her road to Damereau’s to order a suitable toilette for it, one that would eclipse everybody’s but the bride’s. Selina, in listening, for- got her cares: when carried out of herself by the excitement of «preparing for these pomps and vanities, she generally did so for- get. But only then. In the enacting of the pomps and vanities COMIC OOO SS (C(O)