The Argosy — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

317 AN INHERITED HUSBAND. By Mary MupbDIE. I, ‘ 1) egal happy returns of the day!” said Mrs. Trench to her sister Grace, giving her wishes with a warmth so contrary to her usual calm manner that it was evidently a special occasion. Mrs. Trench was a bride of some six months’ standing, and, since the death of their grandfather, Grace’s home had been her sister’s house, a beautiful old palace in Venice. ) ‘Don’t, Edith!” answered Grace, turning from the contemplation ef the Grand Canal. ‘ Pray don’t wish me anything of the kind.” ‘* My dear, you don’t suppose I want you to die?” ‘““No, of course not; and I don’t want to die either. But your voice sounded absolutely congratulatory.” “And why note? Are you not of age? And have you not come into a fortune and a husband on the same day ?” Grace Davenport threw her hands up and then clasped them together. ‘‘ That is just it; a husband! Whoever heard of such a thing out of a story! To inherit a husband !” ‘““My dear Grace, why excite yourself all over again about a fact which you have known for four months, and which cannot be helped ?” suggested Mrs. Trench, whose policy had ever been to conceal how much she felt for her. ‘It’s easy for you to preach good sense, Edith. When the half of grandpapa’s fortune came to you, you were just safely married ; so he could not clog it with so ridiculous, so monstrous a condition. But—but—what in the name of all that’s—amazing could have made kim do such a thing for me?” ‘‘ He hoped no doubt to provide you with a good husband.” ‘And had I no chance of finding one for myself?” Grace’s indignation was very natural, for she was a very pretty girl. ‘You are not looking at the matter from a right point of view. Grandpapa loved you very dearly, as he seems also to have loved Richard Barton ; his wish that the two he loved best should belong to one another is sufficiently plain.” ‘But no one’s wishes, however kindly meant, can influence such matters. I may have it in me to make some man a tolerable wife, as { daresay Richard Barton has it in him to make an excellent husband ; but that does not necessarily mean that we should suit each other. Suppose, for instance, that he has seen some other woman whom he would prefer?” And Grace turned pale at the bare idea. “I think you are supposing grandpapa’s great favourite to be a bad comicooolks (CO) im