The Argosy — page 157: what you’re looking at

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144 Dr. Ball. without each other was an earthly Purgatory, they resolved to try one more expedient to soften the man in the apron and the long silk stockings. “What is terrible?” asked Dulcinea of the Curate, as they walked up and down the garden. ‘This correspondence with Gerald, when you &vzow the Bishop “Well, 1 won’t do it again,” she said. ‘‘It would be a stupid thing to write to him, wouldn’t it,” continued Dulcinea, innocently, ‘‘when I can see him every day?” ‘See him!” Dr. Ball stopped short again, and gazed at her over his glasses. ‘* Why you don’t mean to teH me that ——” “Ves I do, indeed. He is staying down at the white cottage just like last spring. He says he has come for the fishing.” “Fishing in January !” ‘‘ Well, if it isn’t for that, it is for something else. And you can’t think how nice he is looking. And he is so fond of you! Do you know you were the very first person he asked for.” ‘‘Did he now!” said the Doctor, with a broadly gratified smile. Then he recollected himself, and brought himself back to a proper frame of mind with the help of a dry little cough. “The Bishop and Sir Watkyn will be greatly annoyed,” he said. “T don’t care,” returned Dulcinea, rebelliously. ‘‘ What fault can the Bishop find with him ?” ‘He is not your equal, my dear.” ‘‘T hope you are not growing worldly?” said Dulcinea, with a severity that to the poor doctor sounded very terrible. ‘But he is very poor, my dear,” he said, faltering, and feeling him- self the most worldly creature on earth. ‘‘ And is his poverty the only thing against him ? ” ‘The Bishop has other objections.” “Oh! I know all about that,” said she, with superb disdain. ‘TI know he has been meanly trying to spy out some trumpery little peccadilloes belonging to poor Gerald’s Oxford days. It is my belief the Bishop did far worse himself when /e was at Oxford. I hate a “But, my dear “And if Gerald was a little bit wild at college—I—I—think it was delightful of him! I can’t bear goody-goody young men. I should quite despise him if I thought he had never done anything he oughtn’t to do.” “ Dulcinea, this is horrible!” said the Doctor. ‘‘ If your guard- lan a! ‘‘T know my guardian,” with a contemptuous shrug of her pretty little shoulders—‘“ and you would, too, only you are too good to fathom his schemes. Do you think a real Christian would forbid two people to be happy? No, you don’t. A real Christian would ) Gomichbooks.co m