The Argosy — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

Roy’s Good Samaritan. 139 Perhaps she herself was not sorry to sink down upon the faded chintz couch behind her. Major Pierrepoint carefully avoided look- ing at his companion as he took a chair opposite, near enough to note how nervously, in spite of her outward calm, she twirled the ring upon the fourth finger of her left hand. He began to fear— this kind-hearted Geoffrey, who was not so cynical as he looked, not so zmsouciant as he would fain be supposed—that his task might prove even more disagreeable than he had expected. The victim whose happiness he had come to blight was so young, so innocent, so light-hearted; a very different being from the “artful wretch” Lady Lucy’s imagination had painted. She was also so—so—not pretty ; why! pretty would be the very tamest of adjectives as applied to Una Bevan! While trying to find another more suitable, Geoff mentally catalogued her charms: ‘Item, two lips, indifferent red ; item, two grey eyes with lids to them But he stopped. No inventory could tell how sincere, how earnest, how trustworthy were those self-same eyes, now grey, now hazel; nor describe the strong, sweet curves of the well-shaped mouth which seemed even in silence to speak its owner’s character. Una Bevan was /ovely—nothing less; Geoff could not help admitting it. He half repented of his ungracious mission, and decided that his first care should be to ease his own shoulders as much as might be of the burden laid upon them. | “IT ought to explain,” he began, with unusual diffidence, ‘‘ that I am here to-day merely as the ambassador of my aunt, Lady Lucy Pierrepoint, who is deeply distressed to hear of the unwise—a— arrangement existing between you and her son.” “Do you refer to my exgagement’”—emphatically—*“ to Mr. Fitzroy Pierrepoint?” The well-cut features stiffened into frigid iciness, and Miss Bevan drew herself up ever so slightly. “I do. My cousin can scarcely have explained his position truly, or you must see the folly of supposing such an—engagement could ever be carried out. The estate of Branxholme is unentailed and entirely at Lady Lucy’s disposal; should Roy marry without his mother’s consent, he will forfeit his inheritance.” “Well, and what then? My engagement is not to the heir of Branxholme, but to Mr. Fitzroy Pierrepoint.” “Granted: but 27 faut vivre! Remember that my cousin has no profession, and is dependent upon his mother’s favour for even the bread he eats. My aunt, Lady Lucy, is a proud woman. If you had more experience of the world and the world’s ways, you could not fail to understand how much this marriage which her only son proposes goes against the grain with her. Excuse my plain speak- ing.” ‘““T do excuse it. In this matter you are but the mouthpiece of Lady Lucy Pierrepoint, who condescends to explain herself through you.” COnniclo@Oolkks @) (C(O) mn