The Argosy — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

98 The White Witch. marry. She likes to talk to men who are grave and old and serious, and I think she considers men of her own age rather frivolous and uninteresting.” ‘‘T ought to have had an answer from her before this,” said Mr. Mayne. “I got acurious letter from the clergyman this morning, you know, saying that Miss Dixon’s plans were still undecided. But that is nonsense ; if I don’t hear in a day or two from her to say she is coming, I shall go and fetch her myself.” ** Mary will be sure to write in a day or two,” said Mrs. Mayne. And she proved a true prophet. Two or three days afterwards Mr. Mayne did receive a letter from his step-daughter, thanking him for the kindness of his offer, and saying that in obedience to his wishes, she would start for England as soon as she possibly could, but she had some trifling matters to arrange first. Godfrey found that being engaged suited him very well; it gave him all the light occupation he wanted: a new place to be idle in, an object for a stroll of just the right length, and a pretty girl to talk to. Happily Elspeth was too inexperienced and too unexacting to demand much ardour from her lover. Matilda indeed tried to sting her sister into a show of jealousy and an outburst of spirit: but then, Matilda was jealous, Elspeth thought. “You should make him do something to show he is in love with you,” said the elder sister, who had come to brush her hair in Elspeth’s room one night, in order to stir her up to a little coquetry. ‘*He treats you as if he were a sultan who had thrown the hand- kerchief to some poor little slave. You should get him to walk to Cheston in the hot sun to do some errand for you, or you should forbid him to smoke when he is in the garden with you.” “What nonsense, Matilda! As if you, who have never been engaged at all, could know better how to treat him than I do! [f I were to ask him to go to Cheston he certainly would not go until the sun had gone down; he would say it was ridiculous to ask him. And if I were to tell him not to smoke out of doors, he would Stay at home and smoke there.” *‘ Well, if I were you I should let him.” ‘*¢ And lose him altogether! You talk as if we two girls were great beauties, Matilda; or very rich. Now that I have got one lover, I shall not be so silly as to try to send him away.” ‘* What will you do if he goes away of his own accord ?” ‘‘ He won't go, if I let him do what he likes.” “*Oh, won't he! You have not any knowledge of the world.” “No, of course I haven’t. Nor have you.” ‘“‘T know that a man gets tired of a girl if she is the same to him always. She should try him a little now and then.” ‘J dare say! Well, I was cross yesterday, when he spilt the coffee down my dress, and then he talked to you and wouldn’t speak to me, and I made up my mind not to be petulant again. If Godfrey GEomichbooks.co