The Argosy — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

A Capriccio. 723 my shoes, and instead of the lively words; I could only think of one doleful little speech, ‘‘ Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye.” “Good-bye, Miss Celia,” echoed a low voice presently. ‘‘ You seem very happy.” I turned, and held out my hand, unable to answer. Thus for a moment we stood face to face, the yellow sunlight straggling through the creepers on to his dark head, and warming our clasped hands. Then suddenly Lord Everril’s eyes filled with an eager passionate light, and before I could realise what was happening, we had parted ; but not before he had bent down and pressed one swift kiss on my lips, and we had betrayed our mutual secret by one whispered word : we Be merece? CHAPTER IV. LADY CORISANDE. AxouT three weeks later I found myself launched out into the world, drifting away from the old free life at home, where I had grown up, romping with boys of all ages, and lording it over my little sisters, as well as over my gentle, soft-hearted mother. When I had actually parted from them all, for I knew not how long a period, I realised how dear they all were to me, and reproached myself for many thoughtless and wilful acts, by which I had been wont to obtain my own way. Well, all that was atan end. There would be but little“chance now of my going within several degrees of my own will, for I was on my way to fulfil an engagement as “‘ companion” to a widow lady of rank, and I knew that the situation was one which would entail no little exercise of patience and self-denial. I knew but little concerning Lady Corisande de Mervil, beyond that she was a rich widow of English parentage. She had spent the greater part of her life in Paris, and there married a Monsieur de Mervil, who had died a few years since. I imagined her as tall and solemn, in widow’s weeds, and with a sepulchral voice that was fond of dwelling on things dreary and pro- found ; and it was with no slight trepidation that I arrived at my new home. | The first impressions were, indeed, reassuring; and as my eyes drank in the fairness of the Sussex landscape, I began to think that if I were but allowed a little fresh air and exercise daily, I should be able to put up with a certain portion of annoyance and loneliness. In the warm August sunshine the corn-fields shone like polished amber ; honeysuckle and sweet-briar, clustering in the wayside hedges, flung a delicious fragrance through the air. At a little distance I could see that the gorse was in golden and orange bloom on the conniclooolkks (C(O)