The Argosy — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

A Girl's Folly. ** Well, I suppose you will be glad to go, Mr. Vavasour !” “Glad? Ah, I don’t know about that. Glad to escape Tarbey and his grinding: immensely sorry to leave you. Wish you were going with me!” 33 “You are too kind. I will not hinder you any longer; and I must be going home too. Good-night: and good-bye.” Mr. Vavasour took her hand and held it. ‘*‘ Good-bye, dear Miss Reece,” he said. ‘‘I shall often think of you, and of our pleasant meetings. You will let me take a farewell kiss.” He bent his face to hers. ‘‘ How dare you, sir?” she exclaimed, Starting back from him. “ Kiss me, indeed! and here! night I had taken you for a gentleman.” Until this ‘TI beg your pardon,” he said, laughingly ; “‘I meant no harm. Halloa, what a mist it is!” he broke off, as they came to the end of the walk, and the open field beyond it. ‘‘One can hardly see ten yards before one. I must see you home.” “No, no, no!” cried Alison, vehemently. ‘‘ I know my way per- fectly—better than you do—I shall go alone. You will have enough to do to get back to the Parsonage; take care you don’t miss the path. Good-bye, sir.” She flew from him across the field and was lost in the mist. took the opposite path. He ‘And so that’s the last of Reginald Vavasour,” thought Alison. “It serves me right. What a simpleton I have been !—as Thomas called me.—How I hope mamma has not got home !” The mist seemed to grow more dense every minute, and Alison really found her own gate with some difficulty. Her bonnet had not been put away above a minute when Mrs. Reece came in. ‘‘Such a dreadful mist!” she observed to Alison; ‘I don’t think I ever saw such a one. It came on suddenly after the most lovely sunset. Quite a remarkable sunset. I hope you noticed it, child.” “Thomas Watkyn took care I should dothat,mamma. MHecalled it divine.” ‘‘ Indeed it looked nothing less,” replied Mrs. Reece. you have had Thomas here.” “Tam glad Alison complained of a headache and went up to bed; she was afraid of being questioned. If the evening could come over again, she would treat Thomas Watkyn differently. She felt a little ashamed of herself; she felt a little uneasy. ‘ But I will make it up to him,” she sighed, as she laid her head upon her pillow. ‘‘ He will be sure to let me: he is so good, and he loves me so truly.” Alison awoke betimes, and to a vague sense of uneasiness. It was a fine morning, the mist all cleared away. As she stood at the win- dow, the rising sun, lifting himself majestically in the east, tinted her cheeks with a rose-red flush and threw down on the green meadows VOL, XXXVI. D COnNICOOOKS.EO© mn