The Argosy — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Valeria. 185 CHAPTER XII. THE TIGER’S CLAW. *“ T wisH I were a duke’s wife!” observed Mrs. Damien, so fervently and seriously that Hester Archdale burst into the merriest little peal of laughter in reply. . ‘““My dear Rose! Perhaps you might be if you tried—but why? {s this an outbreak of philanthropy in a new direction, or what? And vs it a duke in the abstract, or somebody I ought to know?” A'nd she lazily extended her hand and extracted ‘‘ Dod” from the dwarf book- shelf at her elbow. It was the witching hour of confidences. The warm summer twi- light was softly closing in. The day’s routine was over and the serious business of evening toilette might yet be righteously shirked a while. ‘““T don’t mean anybody in that wretched book, Hester. Of course not! What I did mean—though I did not put it clearly—was, I should like to be a duchess.” “ee, 2 see. Ves. That's quite another thing isn’t it ?”-sard Hester, in an enlightened tone. ‘“ But still, the duke seems to come even into that arrangement, somehow. As a means, if not an end.” “To be one of the English ladies who are born to lesser royalties, who belong to the soil, as it were, who have a people of their own with hereditary claims on them.” ‘““ Hereditary bondsmen!” interrupted Hester, scornfully. ‘‘Am I never to find an American who doesn’t yearn to be a feudal tyrant P” Mrs. Damien disdained to argue that point. ‘‘ Ah,” she broke off impatiently. ‘‘You English at home seem incapable of realising half the poetry and beauty that have drifted down into your lives from the old-world days.” “There isn’t a duke available,” pronounced Hester, tossing away her red book; ‘‘ but I can tell you what will do as well, 1f it’s a good old-fashioned, healthy despotism that your soul craves. Be a country rector’s wife. There’s nothing autocratic going that can touch that nowadays.” Mrs. Damien received the suggestion in silence. ‘‘Who are coming to-night ?” asked Hester, taking a fresh departure. “Mr. Lepell and Lady Beatrix. Lady Monchalsea refused.” ‘ Haven’t you quarrelled finally with her yet, Rose? Your patience and long-suffering is a marvel.” ‘She is dreadfully exacting and capricious!” Rose admitted sadly ; “but she is all I have in the world of kith and kin, and you know I feel I am obeying my father in trying to repay the Monchalseas all they once did for him. [I used to think she really cared for me, too, at one time. It would have been so easy for her zo¢ to have found COMICoAoOoks (SO) im