The Argosy — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

A Capriccio. 129 ‘Come, you must not cry; it will give you a red nose, Just see what you look like in the glass. That is not the way to improve your looks whilst ‘nobody’ is away. He will not know you again, petite. Now, I have guessed your secret so far; why will you not tell me the rest ?” ‘‘ Because I want to forget it. It can never, never be anything. Oh, it is very unmaidenly of me to be like this! I don’t know what Aunt Rebecca would say if she knew.” “So there are difficulties? And you love this ‘nobody’ very much ?” “Ah!” T began, eagerly ; then paused, smiling. I could not tell her what I felt for Charlie. She could not have understood; and, besides, there are some things one cannot talk about, even to one’s dearest friend. Fortunately, Monsieur le Comte entered the room at this moment, and Lady Corisande at once joined him, whispering to me as she passed : “Child, I am in such a flutter! I have just had a letter to say that Ae is coming here to-day—this very afternoon. Feel my pulse, how it beats!” I said “ Yes,” though it appeared to me that her pulse was per- fectly calm and steady ; and then I took up my work and retired to the front drawing-room, feeling, somehow, that 1 was not wanted by the other two. I must confess that I was eager to see Lady Corisande’s hero, and began to share her excitement, when a ring at the door-bell at last announced his arrival. Even Bijou and Mignon stirred and blinked their drowsy eyes at me, as though roused to a feeble interest in the coming of their future master. I could hear the servant with the sublime face and portly tread marching up the long corridor ; then, with even more than his usual pomposity, he flung wide open the door, and announced— Lord Everril !” For a moment the room seemed to have turned into a merry-go- round, and my head swam. Then I sprang up with an inarticulate cry, and both my hands were caught in a warm, loving grasp, and Charlie himself looked down into my face—Charlie himself was re- peating gladly : Celia! you here? Celia?” This is what met Lady Corisande’s view as she came forward to welcome her guest. Her lover and her “companion” standing with clasped hands, gazing rapturously into each other’s eyes, and oblivious of all else in the world beside, though Bijou and Mignon were snarling and yelping madly at their heels, as if trying to guard their mistress’s rights and honour. VOL, XLVI. K conniclooolkks (C(O) mm