The Argosy — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

Edith Falconer. 149 His interest, by this time really awakened in a slight degree, George Russell did as he was bidden ; and in a moment or two his curiosity was gratified. At last, however, making no comment upon the merits of the lady’s appearance, he merely dropped back in his chair after one brief glance without speaking, his expression of countenance inscrutable. “Well! what do you think of her?” A somewhat bitter smile thereupon crossed the elder man’s face. ‘‘T admire your modesty: you have only had the audacity to fix your humble aspirations upon the famous beauty, heiress, and flirt, Miss Edith Falconer.” ‘What ! you know her ?” “Yes,” answered Russell, after a pause of thoughtfulness, and in that interval a succession of scenes from his past life passed before his eyes. He saw again a lovely face raised to greet him with a sweet and gracious smile, a yet sweeter welcome in the confiding glance of the beautiful soft eyes; he felt once more a light hand upon his shoulder, and the perfumed breath of a woman fan his cheek, as they floated along in the delicious waltz ; and last, he saw himself, a poor betrayed fool, pleading with abject importunity at the feet of a girl while she painfully but decidedly repulsed him. “Yes, I made her acquaintance three years ago,” he at length replied to Hunt. ‘How charming! you can introduce me. Where did you meet her ? ” Russell waited before replying, and again spoke in a meditative fashion. ‘‘I met Miss Edith Falconer a few times in town one season.” With that information his questioner had to be content, for Russell either had no more to communicate, or he did not choose to be interrogated further. The Fates, however, were more propitious, and kindlier than his friend ; for, upon a large proportion of the company filing out of the room a little later, the two young men found them- selves immediately behind Miss Falconer. At the same moment a fan, which would seem to have been attached to her girdle or some portion of her dress, fell to the ground. Aware of the loss, she turned round to recover her property just as Hunt had rushed forward, and raised it from the carpet. With more bashfulness than usually formed a portion of that confident young man’s manner, he presented the fan to its owner. The young lady took the fan from his hand, acknowledging the small service with a quiet word of thanks ; but her gaze meanwhile, passing over Sir Percival Hunt, was fixed upon the face of his companion. Russell had never raised his eyes, or made the slightest effort to claim acquaintance with Miss Falconer; for which omission Hunt was vowing vengeance in his heart. The young lady, however, would not be overlooked. ‘How do GOnilGaooks (CO) mn