The Argosy — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

234 Philip Twyford’s Exchange. Yes. Jeannie agreed that they had been too much occupied. Lady Alcote appeared in due time, and they departed for the ball. The Squire: had been found fast asleep in his easy-chair when they were dressed, and so had missed his desired sight of the finery. Lettie was not over pleased when she beheld Jeannie in the satin : but she kept her dissatisfaction to herself, and even went so far as to say that she considered the braid quite as pretty as the embroidery. ‘To be sure that dress was to be seven guineas more, but nobody will know that,” she added. It was a beautiful sight that hunt ball. The old assembly rooms at the Falcon were most tastefully decorated, and the company was the most brilliant that the county could provide. Of course many were tired and disinclined to dance, but that could not be wondered at after such a run. It really didn’t much matter. All the ladies who had not actually been with the hounds, were much interested in the subject and quite ready to listen to detailed accounts of everyone’s varied experiences. One gets used to this style of con- versation during the hunting season, and talks “shop” as corm- placently and exclusively as any company of barristers or dilettanti. Philip was there in good time. Nobody as yet knew the extent of his misfortune, and he was not ashamed of the matter. He was stand- ing near to the door watching the arrivals, many of. whom he knew. He had quite made up his mind that he would avoid the “‘ gold em- broidery”” at any price. Fortune-hunting was too contemptible an occupation. Just then Lettie and Jeannie made their appearance. Philip knew Lady Alcote and shook hands with her ; but she did not yet introduce him to her charges. She motioned to him to walk beside her, while the party made a solemn circuit of the room. Lady Alcote took up her position at the extreme end, where there was a raised dais and some arm-chairs. She knew what was due to her position, as well as to that of the great heiress who was with her. Later on Philip was pleased and surprised to find himself introduced to the wearer of the simple dress. Perhaps Lady Alcote knew of his distress and begrudged him even one dance with the heiress. He curled his lips bitterly at the thought and turned away. He fancied that he was beginning already to feel the social disadvantage of being poor. So ready are we all to take to ourselves fancied slights upon our dignity. He had engaged himself for the next dance to Lettie, and mean- while busied himself with looking on. His state of mind was mbody and discontented. “The way of the world,” he mused. ‘To witness—an heiress and her less wealthy friend. Naturally the heiress is the less attrac- tive of the two. And ostentatious besides—such a choice of dress for a quiet school-girl-looking débutante. That splendid girl, Miss Phillimore, would have looked like a queen in it.” Gomicbooks (e(0) m