The Argosy — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Raven's Temptation. 181 superintend the children ; she was some relation, I’ve heard, of their mother. A nice lady she was, good and capable, but she died close upon Miss Millicent’s marriage. Miss Muillicent’s name 1s not often mentioned in the house. She married to please herself; he was only a dissenting minister, a worthy gentleman, I believe, but not high enough for the Ravens. The Squire thought she might have done better, and was very angry: he and his sister never met after her marriage. It was her son who came down here for a few days last autumn for the shooting.” “What! ‘That light-hearted young barrister?” = ves,” Mr. Philip Connell.” CHAPTER XII. MRS. RAVEN DOES HER DUTY. WHEN Charity left the servants’ hall, she went straight towards Mrs. Raven’s apartments. ‘That lady was seated behind her davenport in the boudoir, making out a list of some valuable family lace, before laying it away until her days of mourning should be ended. She Jooked up when the door opened—and her eyes and Charity’s met. ‘The lady’s fell. § “T beg your pardon, ma’am,” said Charity, in her smooth, acid tones. ‘*Do you want me this morning ? ” Mrs. Raven went on with her writing, but her hand trembled, and she found a strange difficulty in spelling such a simple word as fichu. ‘Presently, Charity,” she said. ‘‘I wish to arrange some of my drawers this morning: your good memory and tidy touch are just what I require. I want a great deal of such help now-a-days. Do you know, Charity, I am thinking of taking a young lady-companion.” “‘ Indeed, madam,” said Charity, ‘that’s a very nice idea—and a matural one. Once on a time, ladies could get those that were almost gentlefolks themselves, to be their maids. It is not so now. They mustn’t be called by that name But many a young lady would be glad to come and live with you, and do some of the little things that maids were fit for once.” “YT have Mackay—and I have you, Charity,” said Mrs. Raven, “but I feel very lonely, and my sons must be away from me, and so I have advertised for a lady companion. The letters that went off this morning contained the advertisement.” ‘“ Now, was I not clever?” cried Charity in a sort of eldritch glee. “T could not help fancying it was something of that sort the minute i saw those letters.” Mrs. Raven’s heart beat heavily. She was now standing before a small set of toilet drawers, which held private matters, and went on examining them. Unfolding aroll of richly brocaded, cherry-coloured ribbon, she observed that it might be dyed: the colour was a little COMMICOOOKS.C©