The Argosy — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

66 A Fashionable Marnage. “Tf you please, ma’am, my lady says will you kindly come to her room when you are dressed ?” Annie replying in the affirmative, the maid closes the door. It is the evening of the 21st, and Miss Parkhurst is dressing for dinner, assisted by the housekeeper’s little maid, who is very deft and handy. She gives a satisfied glance at herself as she rises to seek Geraldine. She wears a dress Lady Windholm ordered from her own dressmaker, a delicate silk trimmed with pale blue. Annie has never yet had any dress so rich and elegant, and she hardly knows herself. She finds the young Countess alone, and somehow looking more beautiful than she has ever seen her look before. Her dress, com- posed entirely of black lace, shows to advantage the dazzling fairness of her skin. ‘The bodice is cut with a small square, and the sleeves | reach to the elbow, for Lady Geraldine is getting very thin. Only this evening her maid has been regretting the fact. Round the white throat is fastened a pendant necklet of superb rubies, which glisten and flash with every movement. ‘Annie, I want to give you this row of pearls. Do you like it?” and Lady Windholm hands it to her. “Oh, how lovely! Geraldine, how can I ever thank you for such a present ? or, indeed, how can I accept anything so costly ?” ‘Nonsense, child ; there are no thanks required. The pearls will look well on your pretty round neck, and I shall like to know you have them. I have never worn them since the time I stayed with you, years ago. Now let us go down. Mr. Chillingham will take you in to dinner, remember. Why, Annie, is that a blush? Well, I would rather see you blush for him than for any man I know. He is not particularly rich, but he is good and noble. I fancied some- how Mr. Chillingham would not find fault with my choice of a lady for him to escort. He scarcely left your side all yesterday.” The party gathered at Prince’s Gate this evening is rather large, and the Earl and Countess of Strathmere are among the guests. Lady Strathmere is quite satisfied with her daughter. She smiles in- wardly to think what a perfect hostess she makes, so merry and thoughtful, and withal as stately as a young queen. <A few minutes before dinner is announced Geraldine leaves the room in compliance with a message from her husband, who is in his dressing-room. ‘‘T have a racking headache,” is his greeting. ‘‘ Can’t you give me some salts or something ?” ‘When did it come on?” asks Lady Geraldine. ‘This afternoon. I met Carew and he told me something that ather put me out, that is the reason.” ‘‘ Have you tried any remedy ?” ‘‘ A little brandy,” says the Earl. Geraldine knows it. Her husband’s habit is fast becoming stronger than his sense of decency. Here are twenty people in the house waiting for dinner, and the host in a state quite unfit to receive them. COMIC LOOKS, (eo)