The Argosy — page 359: what you’re looking at

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

340 Lady Grace. women, I remember, and that one is pretty beyond common ; a star, Doctor, of the first water.” For once in his life the Sub-Dean’s fancy was tickled. He enjoyed a side fling at his sister. And Cyras was, in his opinion, so very lost a sheep that had he appeared at the play with an army of ladies instead of one, it would have given the Sub-Dean no manner of concern. “You had better go to the drawing-room and make it right with them,” he said, when the young men had explained about Mrs. Carington and one or two other matters. ‘Tell Ann all this, and re-establish yourself in her favour.” It may as well be remarked that the likeness between the brothers was not so very astonishing when they were together, or to those who knew them well. A very great resemblance there undoubtedly was, quite sufficient to deceive the jeweller, and Miss Dynevor also, who had no suspicion that Cyras was in England. But to strangers, looking at the two for the first time, the likeness was marvellous. It chanced that Miss Dynevor was this morning in an exasperated mood, brought on by her ineffectual endeavours to induce Mary to say she would give up Charles Baumgarten. Her chosen seat when lecturing her nieces was the music stool. Drawn to the middle of the room, she sat, perched like Jupiter on Olympus, tall and for- midable, in a grass-green stiff gown with balloon sleeves, her flaxen curls elaborately arranged and her tongue sharpened. “It seems to me that the world must be coming to an end,” she said, haranguing all three girls in general, but Mary in particular ; “‘and the sooner the better, if this is to be the order of things. In my younger days we modest maidens never so much as looked at an unmarried man: as to talking openly of one, as I have seen you girls doing over and over again, we should have been shut in our rooms for a month after it. While you, Mary Dynevor, scruple not to uphold Charles Baumgarten’s conduct the other night !” “What I say is this, Aunt Ann—that Charles could not behave in the manner you have related,” responded Mary, a sound of tears in her voice. ‘How dare you insult me by doubting my word?” “TI don’t doubt your word, Aunt; I doubt your eyesight. You mistook someone else for Charles.” Miss Dynevor shrieked. ‘You insolent girl !—mistook him, did I? When he turned his face impudently towards mine, and grinned and nodded to me! He winked, too ; I vow and protest he winked. The fact is, he must have been making free with some sort of wine.” ‘‘ He assured me in the presence of papa that it was not himself: that it was a mistake, for he was not out of his chambers at all that night.” ‘And you believed him!” scoffed Miss Dynevor. “With my whole heart,” warmly returned Mary, a glowing colour COMIC OOOKS. GO