The Argosy — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

A Love Story. 355 sitting over their wine, after dinner, in Talboys’ chambers, chatting about things in general and themselves in particular. In the course of the evening, Ferrers, noticing three curious-looking golden balls, each of which was inscribed with a date, pendant from the chain of his friend’s watch, put to him the question which led to the following narra- tive. Notathrilling or exciting one; only the true story of an honest man’s love. What effect it had upon Ferrers the sequel will show. Three years ago I had rooms on the ground floor of one of those streets just out of Eaton Square, which are the resort of people who come up to town for a few weeks during the season. One day in May I discovered, by a chance meeting in the passage, that the upper part of the house, which had been empty for some time, was again tenanted. There was nothing in any way remarkable about this, for people used to come and go at intervals, and I seldom either knew or cared who was in the house. SBachelors as a rule, are supremely indifferent to anything which does not affect themselves and their own comfort, and I was no exception to the rule. Who or what these people were did not concern me in the least. I should probably not have given them a second thought had I not noticed, in passing them, that of two girls between whom there was a strong family likeness, one was quite a brunette, while the other was extremely fair and had the loveliest blue eyes imaginable. Consequently, I did give them a second thought, and learned from the servant that the new tenants consisted of a lady, her daughter and a niece. After this I turned back to my briefs and for a while troubled my head no more about them. They frequently passed my window in the summer evenings, sometimes on foot, sometimes driving, and sometimes on horseback. When riding, they were always accompanied by a tall, good-looking man of the tawny moustache type, whom, from his resemblance to the military heroes of certain fashionable novels, I at once christened ‘The Guardsman :” a name by which I call him even now. It was evident to me from the very first that he was very much in love with the fair-haired girl, and as she was really very pretty, rode well and seemed pleased with his attentions, I began rather to envy him. And now a somewhat odd thing happened. At that time I was working very hard and had quite given up going out into society at all. But one afternoon Charlie Hardcastle, who used to be my fag at school, met me in the street, and said that as he was going to start for India the following morning I really must dine with him at Woolwich and go toa ball his regiment was giving that night. As he was likely to be away for some years, I consented. Very reluctantly, it is true, and only on condition that I should be allowed to return by the workmen’s early train in the morning, for I had a very important case on hand just then. But I did consent, and went back to my lodgings to dress. conniclbooolks (SO