The Argosy — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

154 HEADS OR TAILS? Sas order to enable the reader to grasp the situation at once, let it be briefly stated that Miss Violet Danvers was an extremely pretty girl, and a flirt. She had lost her parents many years ago, and the various friends with whom she passed her time were accustomed to regard her as somewhat of a ‘“‘handful;” nevertheless, they antici- pated her visits with the keenest pleasure, and were willing enough to bear the responsibility of looking after her, for the sake of enjoying her society. She was a very fascinating young person, small, and most deli- cately made, with dainty hands and feet, and a little round waist just reaching the right size for the rest of her figure. Yet, in spite of these good points, Violet’s face was undeniably the best part of her, for there could be read as plainly as the open leaves of a book, the story of her sweet, sunny, loveable nature. Yet we have just con- demned her as a flirt. Well, a girl may be that, and not wholly a reprobate, as some sour-tempered, ill-favoured, and, in most cases, ‘“‘ disappointed ” representatives of the weaker sex would so willingly designate her. Besides, with Violet flirting was even less blameable than with many others, because she did it in such innocency, and so entirely without any arriére pensée in the matter. She was young, she was beautiful, she was rich, and she accepted all the attention which fell to her lot accordingly, as naturally as a queen bee receives the homage of her faithful subjects. And yet, though women are so proverbially vain, there comes a time in every true woman’s life when she learns to care more for a single token of regard from one individual than for fifty such from other admirers. Violet Danvers, when she arrived at Oxford on the Michaelmas Term of 188—, had not yet limited herself to the favoured ome. But she was decidedly tending that way, for she no longer felt the slightest interest in the undergraduate race of mankind, whereas she enter- tained the very strongest regard for the two sons of her host—the head of St. Stephen’s College. The puzzle was, which son to choose? She had every reason to believe them both to be her willing slaves. Indeed, it was obviously an open and well understood contest between the two brothers ; and they were each so attractive in their widely dif- ferent stages, that, considering Violet was a young woman with a liking for everything which is worth having, from lovers down to strawberries-and-cream, it was no wonder she hesitated in making her final decision. Cecil, the elder son of Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton, was rather above the middle height, slightly built, with a physique which told of his commiclooks. cory |