The Argosy — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

224 Mrs. Montagu’s Governess. the room, while about her neck was drawn a white handkerchief of filmy lace, the quaint style of which set off her peculiar beauty. Talbot North found himself noting all these details with extreme interest. Every pulse of Talbot North’s being would long beat to the slight incidents of that evening; every word spoken was graven upon his heart in letters of enduring stone. Mr. North had just finished drinking his tea when a slight commotion in the hall announced the return of the church-goers. Miss Lockhart rose in haste. ‘I had better go and tell Mrs. Montagu,” she said, and left the room. In a moment Mrs. Montagu had reached the drawing-room, and her plump little form was clasped in her brother’s arms. ‘Oh, Talbot! you promised to write or telegraph. Imagine our being gone to church and everything! What have you had ?” ‘‘Miss Lockhart very kindly gave me a cup of tea,” answered North. ‘A cup of tea!” exclaimed Mrs. Montagu with a shriek of horror. ** A cup of tea after coming from Bombay! Good gracious! we must have supper at once. And for me to be out when you arrived! I could cry. Where are your belongings? Shall we send to the station for them ?” ‘“‘T have nothing but a hand-bag. An accident detained me in Paris, and they left by a previous train. I suppose they will turn up all in good time.” IIT. It was only a very few days later that Mr. Montagu, talking alone with his wife, suddenly started a novel idea in an inquiry he made; and although the question was put in joking form, it was none the less suggestive. “My dear, are you prepared to lose your invaluable governess, and to receive her in the new relation of sister-in-law ?” “What do you mean, Robert ?” ‘Does nothing strike you with regard to Talbot and Miss Lock- hart ?” “Talbot likes Miss Lockhart, and respects her, as we all do, but there is nothing more between them that I see.” “Talbot likes Miss Lockhart very particularly, and mot as we all do,” retorted Mr. Montagu, laughing. ‘Her sentiments are, to my mind, the only doubtful point in the affair,” added the speaker, thoughtfully. “A royal princess would be proud to marry Talbot,” said that eentleman’s sister fondly, and the belief was not so very remarkable, | for Talbot North, with his charm of manner and his sunny temper, was a universal favourite. ‘‘ But Talbot might have looked higher n a girl in Marion Lockhart’s position,” concluded Mrs. Montagu, ittle regretfully. | CORNICE OO KS.(6C)