The Argosy — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

242 Lady Grace. of her mother, Lady Avon, she had come in to all the property that would be hers—two thousand a year. With that and the Dean’s income, they might have lived sufficiently well. But Lady Grace had little idea of the value of money, and was given to thinking that one pound would go as far as four or five. Living in Berkeley Square was her doing, and was quite wrong and ridiculous with their narrowed means. It had come about in this way. ‘Two years before the present chapter opens, Lady Grace had come to London on a visit to her brother. Lord Avon had never married, and spent much of his time abroad, keeping his house—a small one—in Piccadilly done up in brown holland and lavender. However, he took possession of it for a season, invited his sister to stay with him, and the Dean, if he could come. A season in town was perfectly delightful to Lady Grace. ‘‘ [shall not be able to do without it, now that I have tasted its sweets again,” she said to her brother one day. ‘‘I think I must look out for some furnished house to be had cheaply, Henry, and take it.” “All right,” said his lordship, who had given in to Grace from the time she was a baby. Lady Grace found a charming house in Berkeley Square. ‘ Just the thing,” she observed to her brother and to the Dean, who was in town for a week. “It is only a little house,and may be had on almost one’s own terms: may be rented yearly, furnished; or we may purchase the lease and the furniture as it stands. Of course, the latter is out of the question, but we might hire it. It belonged to an old lady who is now dead.” ‘We cannot possibly afford it,” whispered the Dean aside to Lord Avon. ‘‘ Pray don’t encourage Grace to think of it.” ‘¢ What’s that you are saying, Ryle?” cried his wife. ‘‘ Not afford it! Oh, but we must; we will afford it. Il economise in other matters.” Lord Avon generously came to the rescue. He purchased the lease, which had twelve years to run, he bought the furniture, and made a present of it to his sister. So there was no rent to pay in Berkeley Square, and this was the second year they had been in it. But the money went all too quickly in other ways. What with the household they kept up, the entertainments Lady Grace liked to give, and the expenses of the children, Dr. Baumgarten’s income ought to have been doubled. Gertrude had her governess—a French lady, who spoke and taught the three languages equally well: French, English, German. Made- moiselle Léon was a most desirable individual, and a finished instructress ; but these exceptional governesses have to be paid according to their merits. Gertrude’s masters were also expensive. Charles was at Oxford ; and though not especially extravagant, he CORNICE OOOKS (E(@) 7A)