The Argosy — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

30 A Girl's Folly. ‘It is nothing less,” he returned, ‘A short while, and this man will be leaving the place for ever; leaving you. You will feel vexed then, Alison, at having made your intimacy with him so con- spicuous.” ‘‘ He will not be leaving,” she retorted. ‘‘ When he does leave, it will only be to come back again.” Her companion shook his head. ‘ No, that is not likely. Yesterday Mr. Tarbey called at the farm : in talking with my father, he men- tioned incidentally that young Vavasour was only to be with him this one term. ‘The fellow may not have anything especially bad in him ; I should not wish to imply that ; but he is idle and heartless, and, in pretending to make love to you, Alison, he is but amusing himself and fooling you.” ‘How dare you say he is making love to me?” “JT say he is pretending to do it. Alison, you must know it to be so—if you would but speak the candid truth.” *¢ Very well, then! Pray what if he is?” ‘Only this: That you cannot continue to listen to him and keep me in your train. It must be one or the other of us, Alison, from this night. You must choose between us.” “Then I choose him,” she said, wrathfully rising. Do you mean it?” asked Mr. Watkyn, rising in his. turn. _ The girl did not answer. Her chest was heaving with agitation ; Thomas Watkyn’s grey eyes took a tender light as they gazed at the pretty, changing, uncertain face. ‘‘ Alison,” he said, and his voice was wonderfully considerate, ‘‘I have known you from childhood; I have loved you all your life. Twelve months ago there arose an understanding between us that you would he my wife: until recently I never supposed that you could have any other thought. But you have filled my breast with cruel fears; ‘tortured it, my dear; and I cannot bear them longer. You must be to me what you used to be, or give me up.” Alison’s eyes grew sullen. Why could not this Tom Watkyn let her alone? She did not altogether want to break with him. What harm was she doing, in talking to Reginald Vavasour? Reginald was ten: times the gentleman that he was !—and his voice had a sweet, soft lisp !—and he wore a diamond ring on his white hand! ‘‘Oh, my dear—my best and dearest—give up this folly! Let things be with us as they used to be! JDon’t you care for me?” ‘‘ No,” she replied to him, in her cross and contrary spirit ; con- scious all the while of a latent wish that Mr. Vavasourhad been buried in the sea before coming to disturb the peace. ‘Vo /” ‘Then you decline to marry me, Alison? You have not loved me as I love you?” The sad, passionate fervour nearly scared her breath away: the heart- felt sorrow, all too plain, touched her with a qualm. But she was in an obstinate mood. ECORMIEOOOKS.e© im