The Argosy — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Valeria. 329 was the last left on his mother’s hands of a large, unlovely and unimprovable family, all the rest of whom had been adroitly disposed of in matrimony by their sagacious parent in half-a-dozen seasons. Lord Monchalsea, the eldest, most unlovely, and most unpromising, had offered himself to Mrs. Damien within a week of her arrival in England, to be refused and to carry his rejected title and affections to a wealthy daughter of the Tribes within another fortnight. A sufficient time had elapsed for Ted to be produced with decency; and so— and so 4 Mrs. Damien sprang forward to her as if welcoming the interrup- tion. ‘‘ Hester! I beg your pardon for not seeing you sooner. Have you been here long ?” *“T have been in the conservatory putting Roswal by. He makes people hot to look at him this weather.” * Just like Henderson,” laughed Mrs. Damien. ‘TI daren’t put a butler into a white suit; and besides he is miserable without his tea- tray ; so ’ve deposed him in favour of Aunt Mamie. MDoesn’t she look dehghtful?” Hester detected a harassed air of preoccupation under Rose’s gay tone, and held her hand fast. “T couldn’t help overhearing you,” she confessed, with a glance of supreme disfavour at her old antipathy, Lady Monchalsea, who was eyeing her superciliously. ‘‘ Don’t you want to go? Why don’t you say so at once, and get rid of her ?” Rose looked at her with a gentle wistfulness. ‘‘I can’t decide. Perhaps it would be best to go—but the wisest decision is always the hardest. If Ithought I should be missed here—ever so little—by any- body—I would stay, oh, so gladly.” She broke off ; the Bostonians were taking leave, going off with the Professor to see somebody’s pictures. ‘There was a little outbreak of parting words. Hester heard ‘“‘ Zwiesel Alp,” ‘‘ Konigsee,” ‘‘ Just too lovely,” ‘‘ Pasterne Glacier!” &c. &c., to all of which Mrs. Damien listened, constrainedly smiling, with the distressed line between her brows that Hester alone could read. “T’m a blind, selfish wretch,” she thought, with sudden illumina- tion, as she watched the farewells. ‘‘She knows I hate the thoughts of her going back to those Monchalseas, and she is too shy to tell me what her real wishes are. Why has she never mentioned the Professor’s name to me? Perhaps they are old friends. I like his looks. I like the way his face lights up when he looks at her. T’m not afraid of that hulking, smoke-dried Ted Boughton. He and his mother may do their worst; Rose is safe from all danger from their attractions ; but this man is of a different stamp.” A whole romance unfolded itself in the girl’s busy brain before the shabby coat of the unconscious hero had finally disappeared through the doorway. She looked for Rose, anxious to show her comprehension, her sympathy. Mr. Lepell had dawdled up to their neighbourhood. GOMIGIOOKSAGO