The Argosy — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

190 A Country Heart. ‘‘T wasn’t reading—I mean I don’t think so—yes there is, though ; a seal came ashore at Polkerry. Would you,” very diffidently, “like to hear about it ?” ‘Oh, no, not for the world! Isn’t there any cholera news, or any military and naval appointments, or anything about people one knows ?” ) “The Rev. John and Mrs. Cannody and family at Sea View; the Misses Peach at 1, Marine Parade; Mrs. and Miss x ‘Oh, stop, stop, for goodness’ sake! I thought you had the /osz¢, not that dreadful local story-teller. Just see if there are any yachts in, and then we will decide what is to be done with to-day.” “The Araminta, Mr. Seagrave, gone on to Weymouth; the Waterbaby, Captain Harrison, and the /essamzne, Mr. Lockhart, for Cowes; the £/nore, Hon. Charles Burke, put in here to coal. She’s that big, hulking thing lying half across the harbour.—I don’t see any fun in steam yachting.” Miss Verey’s interest in the yachts was not very great, for she only answered: ‘‘Is that all?” and looking across at the bay, which lay below the window: “I think it’s clearing” she said. ‘“I’ll go and see what mamma is doing, and tell her we are going out. I want a hundred things in the town, and you can come and carry them for me.” These two young people had grown very friendly during the month that the Vereys had spent at Myrtle Bank. The young lady was the elder by two. or three years, and by all the experience of life, from childhood, in London Society. Harry Tredennick knew Mrs. Briscoe, the parson’s wife of the neighbourhood, old Madam Tredennick, his own grandmother, and her attendant, Miss Meux, and perhaps half a dozen young ladies of Torferry ; good, red-cheeked, rather shapeless young women of a pattern well-known in this and other country localities. Here his experience of the fair sex came to an end. Miss Verey knew, or appeared to know, the whole Army and Navy, the Bar and the Church, the ins and outs of both Universities ; not to speak of diplomatic circles, political circles, aristocratic circles, theatrical circles—widening out indefinitely into the vast ocean of society, which used to make young Tredennick by turns rabidly restless or dolefully dissatisfied with himself and his surroundings, wishing that this world of which he knew so little and Miss Verey so much, had but one head to be smitten off at a blow. For, of course, the soldiers and sailors, lawyers and curates, with dukes, peers and bigwigs of all sorts must be in love withher. How could it be otherwise, when Harry Tredennick, who had never cared to look at a woman before in his life, had been so completely van- quished by her charms the first moment he saw her in Torferry church? The tall, white-clad figure whom the old sexton handed ostentatiously up to the top of the church, just as Mr. Briscoe began the service, was as different in face and style and raiment from the CONNIClOOLKS (C(O) a_i _— -~— «Sp