The Argosy — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

168 Lady Valeria. Even the baby’s reception was eclipsed by the burst of applause which followed this announcement. Mr. Renwick almost forgot grace entirely, before, with one accord, the assemblage rose to prepare for an immediate start a-pleasuring. ‘Vou are making a magnificent entertainment of it,” said Eustace to his father as they lingered in the hall; ‘‘someone has taken some trouble to get all this up.” “It’s our good little Mary here. I haven’t seen her so keen about anything before. It has been a real comfort to me to find out some- thing I could do to give her pleasure. After all it’s not much. Lord Ingilby is a Forester, or a Druid, or both; at any rate he always throws his grounds open on these occasions and gives a sort of enter- tainment to his tenants. It was only to join forces with him this year. Hullo, Mary! What are you doing there? Where’s your bonnet?” ‘““T’m not going out,” answered Mary with a dim little smile, pro- ceeding on her way to Lady Altcar’s rooms. “Not going with them? Then who is?” barring her passage— ‘“ youre not going in there, anyway. Mrs. Burnett has got back, and Esmée doesn’t want to set eyes on you again till bed-time.” “ But—but Lady Archdale is not going out. Someone ought to stay with her,” objected Mary, still downcast. ““Where’s Mrs. Randolf? Didn’t she say nothing should induce her to go to the Féte? Why can’t she stop and entertain her?” “ But she zs going. She is putting on her walking dress —— ” “Are you talking of my mother?” asked Hester, tripping up. ‘She is disposed of for the afternoon. She is to be driven over to see her old school-fellow, Lady Ingilby, and we are to be trusted to chaperon ourselves for the rest of the day.” “There! you hear. Now be off, and don’t keep everybody wait- ing.” And off sped Mary, her sedate little feet almost dancing in the joy of her deliverance. She was in plenty of time after all, and was ready before Mrs. Randolf. It was not the work of a minute to assume the coquettish boating costume and sailor hat that eventually delighted the eyes of Amy’s admirers. The rest had dispersed to make the tour of garden, green- house, or Home Farm as various fancies led, and when she reappeared only de Cressy was visible, in dutiful attendance on her pleasure. ‘All gone but you ?” she said, with a little plaintivesmile. ‘‘ Why did you wait for me?” ‘““No. They haven’t started yet. Is ¢zs the way ?”—for Amy was crossing the lawn in a different direction to the broad path leading down to the water’s edge, where at the landing-place was moored a whole flotilla of different sized craft: from the great gaily-decked barge with a band on board, whose powerful horse was lazily cropping the grass beside the tow-path, through various styles of tub, down to the Rector’s canoe. “Ah! I forgot you would rather be with the others. I cannot CONNICMOOOKS. CO