The Argosy — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

79 SWALLOW, SWALLOW ! EVER talk to birds. For several months an unmistakable flirtation had been carried on between Captain Algernon Clayton and Miss Lilian Murray. The first was a captain in a marching regiment, the last a very decided heiress, whose beauty and riches were formidably protected in the person of an old bachelor uncle, her guardian. At seventeen it is so delightful to outwit guardians ; to scoff confi- dently at all their prosaic warnings, and to feel so sure that there never has been, and never will be again, such a pure unselfish love as that which the captain in a marching regiment feels for the sweet, persecuted girl who has the ill-luck to be an heiress. When uncle had glowered fiercely at the suitor for about a month, and, finding reasonable representations useless, had threatened to carry off his ward unless she gave up all thoughts of the penniless lover, then Secrecy came to help Love, and the old apple-tree near the orchard gate became a post-office. All this was very discreditable to Lilian. If she had been a properly brought-up girl she would have known at a glance that Captain Clayton was all very well as a partner at a ball, being very fascinating and a capital dancer; but a husband is another matter. A husband should always have money. Never mind about character or disposition. A man of most noble resolves and amiable tem- perament will gain nothing from society but a doubtful shake of the head if he be poor; but if a man be rich, and has no character— ask any well-bred dowager if he cannot always dvy one? Lilian was horribly ignorant. One lovely summer’s eve they met. ‘‘ My darling! all is against us,” cried the soldier ; ‘‘we had better part now, and end our sorrow.” “No, no!” earnestly responded Lilian. ‘I love you; and I cannot, cannot forget you.” “Then I must take you away with me; say, will you give up all brighter dreams, and be a poor soldier’s wife? ” She Aad no brighter dreams, so she said, ‘‘ Yes.” Uncle’s eyes saw nothing. He thought his words had taken effect, and that his ward was amenable to all his persuasions. He endeavoured to interest her mind in fossils and botanical specimens, and felt sure he had hit the right nail on the head. One evening Lilian sang to herself the song of “‘ Swallow, Swallow, flying South.” She was in the large empty drawing-room ; and then she strolled out on the terrace, where twilight and moonlight were gently waging war against each other. Throwing a light shawl over Gomichboo (E©) m