The Argosy — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

120 A Capriccio. ‘Oh, then you too will have to work,” said I innocently. ‘What are you going to do? I know someone who has gone out to America to make his fortune; but perhaps you would dislike leaving England. What do they want you to do?” ‘Well, they have already chosen my profession for me. A nice, honourable, gentlemanly profession—no vulgarity in it—and warranted not to wear one out with hard labour. It is the profession of heiress- hunting, which perhaps you have never heard of.” | He spoke with unconcealed bitterness, and after a moment’s pause went on rather urgently. “What would you do if your mother and half-a-hundred devoted relations were constantly imploring you, on bended knees, to accept #,20,000 per annum from a beautiful cousin, o7/y ten years your senior, saying that it is the only way of preventing the family name from falling into the gutter, and from dying out in ignominious pauperism ? Of all curses, preserve me from a family name without family plate to uphold its dignity. ‘Tell me, what would you do?” “Tf I cared for the beautiful cousin, I should not be too proud to accept everything she liked to give me,” I replied, hesitating lest I should say too much. ‘“ But if I did not care for her, I would take nothing ; it would be like a coward,” “You are right. And I do not care for her. Let us forget hey. Miss Celia, if I hear of an old and respectable lady who wants a companion, may I tell her of you?” “It will be very kind of you,’ I said. ‘‘ Now, will you take me back to Aunt Rebecca? She must be tired of waiting for me.” So she was, though she tried not to show it, and insisted on waiting until after I had danced with two elegant young men who were now introduced to me, and who seemed to have very small conversational} powers—for one never soared beyond the weather, which we beat round on all sides; and the other evidently felt it to be his mission to persuade me that I was Venus, Helen of Troy, Titania, and the Belle of the present ball, all in one, and that he had never before felt his heart so stirred with emotion. All of which I had heard him say, shortly before, to a young lady with damp-looking curls and teeth like a post and rails, as Dick would have said; so that I was not much elated by the flattery. After that Lord Everril took Aunt Rebecca to supper, and helped us on with our cloaks. And as he put mine over my shoulders he said, in a tone that made me blush and tremble for no reason, like a foolish schoolgirl : “This has been the happiest evening I have ever spent, Amaryllis. I shall remember it all my life. Have you enjoyed it too, I wonder?” “Oh, so much! I shall never, never forget it,” I said, letting my hand rest fora moment in his, and looking up into his kind, handsome face. “And you have been so good to us. Good-night, Lord Kverril.” ECORNIECLIOOKS COM