The Argosy — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

20 Faithful unto Death. her, and we, sister-like, teased him afterwards. ‘‘ Look here, girls ; if I were obliged to make a choice from the two, I’d rather take old Aunt Di.” And Tom had never swerved from that day to this. Courteous he ever was to Eva, as his cuest—for, in good truth, the house was Tom’s, not ours—but there his attentions ended. In her quiet, covert way, she had tried to get up a flirtation with Tom ; but, to use his own words, he would not see it. And this left only Lionel Payne to fall back upon. “She would have liked Tom,” remarked Aunt Dinah, shrewdly, who saw more sometimes than we gave her credit for. ‘Tom isa good match for any girl, and she has not a penny piece in the world. But I should not like Tom to have her I was hemming away at my muslin, and Aunt Di nodded over her knitting, when Mr. Payne came in. He was of middle height, with fair whiskers, and a handsome, though perhaps undecided face, with a peculiarly sad look in his hazel eyes. Shaking hands with us all, he stayed talking a little with me, chiefly about the weather, and then went back to the larger room. Presently it struck me that they were very quiet. Margaret was copying music at the table ; Lionel and Eva, seated near the fire, had their heads together over a skein of crimson silk, which resisted their best endeavours in its determination not to be wound properly. These two were excellent friends now ; more than friends, one might say ; but when she came Grst and had her eye fixed on lom, she could not tolerate Lionel. I verily believe they hated each other, after a polite, well-bred fashion ; and Eva was lavish of her veiled sarcasms on him behind his back. But all that had changed now. “Ves, I suppose it’s all very right and proper,” I said to myself, as I watched them whispering together over the silk. And yet—was he learning to love her >—had she cast her spells over him to that extent? If not, why did he linger with her night after night, and neglect me? | With an irritation which did not often trouble me, I threw down my work and went to vent my spleen on the piano ; which, alarmed and indignant at such usage from my usually gentle fingers, re- sounded like thunder for a few moments, and finally died away in low murmurs faint as the whispers of an accusing spirit. With one hand wandering in listless apathy over the keys, I turned half round to find that Margaret had left the room. The other two were talking by the fire, far enough away from me. Lionel had his back towards me, and I could only see his profile. Miss Bellair stood in front of him, the light from the chandelier falling in soft showers on her graceful head and raven hair. With a nameless pang I felt that my presence was forgotten, OF unregarded ; and yet, as I watched the ever-varying expression of her radiant face, and mentally contrasted it with my own pale features, I did not wonder. ECOMMICEOOOKS.E@ im