The Argosy — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

Eg4 A Country Heart. ridiculous will of the old Squire, which left him under his grand- enother’s guardianship till his five-and-twentieth year. Amongst one of the terrors of his childhood which poor motherless (Harry Tredennick had learnt to hate was his grandmother’s quarterly descents upon Torferry “‘ for shopping,” when the old, close carriage was In requisition, with both windows up, and Madam drove down to tthe town and spent the afternoon driving from one shop to another, harrying the shop people and abusing their wares. Harry, who was of a naturally peaceable, even, polite disposition, hated being taken <on these outings, and as he grew older used to try and mollify the feelings of the tradespeople by being particularly civil on his own -account and keeping particularly clear of the town altogether on the occasions of ‘‘ Madam’s” periodical visits. But shopping with Kate Verey was quite another thing. In fact it was an exquisite entertain- ment, which Harry did not know Torferry town was capable of (producing. First of all, there was the dairywoman to interview. ‘Mrs. Tubbs, how is it that the last two junkets have been so ‘much smaller than those we began with?” And Mrs. Tubbs makes answer, rolling up her arms in her apron and dropping her words ‘very carefully and slowly: ‘‘ Well, tu be sure, Miss, I knew they were tu sma’al, but indeed them fulish calves hav’ been a-lapping up a’al the milk, and I says to Tubbs, they Lunnon ladies have such sma’al cappetites, they du ;; “Now, Mrs. Tubbs,” said Kate, severely, ‘‘you know that isn’t fair! You must choose between either me or the calves. I can get as good a junket from Mrs. Hooper ——” “Don’t yer speak of her, miss,” cried the repentant Tubbs, who answered to the spur in a moment. ‘ Her’s as messy a hand about a edairy as I shouldn’t like yu to touch a junket from.” With which -enigmatical criticism on her vis-a-vis, Mrs. Hooper, she promised a noticeable amendment in the size of the next junket, and parted from ‘her customer with profound respect for the ‘‘ Lunnon lady ” who had detected the reduced quantity so cleverly. “Tt’s a ninepenny junket,” explained Kate, laughing, “‘and we ‘have it all times and seasons, a dozen times a-week, for mamma and I both adore it. Mrs. Tubbs sends it up in a lovely old china bowl. But when I began to notice that the wreath of flowers, painted round ‘tthe inside edge, was every time becoming more and more visible, while at first not a sign of it showed above the cream, I determined I would try what effect a judicious reference to Mrs. Hooper would have on my diminishing delicacy. Now, come on to Tucker’s, and see if that hopeful young man has got me my blue silk at last.” The long-expected London parcel had arrived, so Tucker was able to supply the dark blue knitting silk which Miss Verey was working up into the most dandified gentleman’s socks that Harry had ever seen. He had not dared to ask for whom they were intended, though he had CONMIEClOOKS (E©)