The Argosy — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

My Saturdays. 27% would just let him spoil his life after his own fashion, if it were not spoiling Imogen’s too ; but she shall have a chance of making him ashamed of himself. Andif one look of those brown eyes of hers does not make him forget all the rubbish that ever was printed, and all the gossip that those Mintons would talk between now and Christ- mas—-why, it will be because he is a fool!” V. I AWOKE on Saturday morning, witha hazy sense of something going to happen, which soon solidified into the remembrance that this day would decide the fate of my nephew and his ladye-love. I pulled up the blind eagerly, anxious to look in the face a day which was bringing gifts, good or evil, to one (if not two) whom I loved, and try to guess its burden. In vain; there was no Stealing its secrets; it wore no smile of encouragement, nor gloom of evil augury ; there never was a more uncommunicative day. Of course I watched at the window anxiously to see if Archie would really keep his promise. ‘The train was late, and I had had a long interval of looking out and heartbreaking before he came in sight, and I dropped into a chair with a sigh of relief. He had come, but it was in no hopeful mood; he was grave, composed, and silent. I did not venture to allude to our correspondence, and only said: ‘‘T am so glad you have come.” ‘‘ As you insisted upon it, I was bound to do so,” hereplied. “‘ And on the whole I believe it is the fair and right thing to do.” The time passed heavily until my guests began to arrive, and more heavily still from the first arrival until Lady Jacobs’s carriage drove up. All three ladies were in it. Imogen had had a less stormy week than either she or her friend had anticipated. When they returned last Saturday, Lady Anderton had really been asleep, and never knew exactly when they came in. Of course the subject was ignored next day, and peace was restored. Lady Jacobs, being perfectly certain that the Mintons would call on Monday, arranged a long drive for that afternoon, and did not set out on it early. Her secret triumph when she saw their cards lying on the hall-table at her return was the more intense that she could not share it even with Imogen, and she chuckled with glee over their disappointment, and the unlikeliness of their having another chance of making mischief. Lady Anderton was terribly afraid of a scene until it was begun, when she thoroughly enjoyed it, and could work herself up to as high a pitch of fictitious excitement as any woman; and she had no desire for another such headache as she had brought upon herself the previous Saturday. So she took the wiser course of making no difficulty about Imogen’s accompanying her hostess this afternoon; but had come herself in charge, ready to be Argus and Medusa in one, and prove herself worthy of the house of Moville, and the confidence of its head. ECOnnicloooks (C©)