The Argosy — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

52 ‘Boy’s Love” and ‘Old Man.” determined little fellow, so bent on carrying through whatever he undertook, be it hurdle-races, theatricals, military duty or love-making, that it evidently lay in Rose’s own hands to become Lady Alfred whenever she chose. “ And I won’t have any shilly-shallying at her age,” muttered the Colonel. ‘‘It’s bad for the twins, and won’t do in a woman who is not quite in her first bloom.—Hullo ! Swan, is that you? Come up and dine with us to-night, will you? Haven't seen you for an age. Seven-thirty—sharp !” Now we see pretty plainly how matters stood at Seamouth respect- ing Rose Grantham and her love affair. Public Opinion (represented by Biggs and Bostock) had declared itself Parental consent was ready and waiting, while Lord Alfred’s feelings may be guessed by the exuberant manner in which he accepted Colonel Grantham’s impromptu invitation, after the misspent afternoon in Piles’s shop. Rose’s own thoughts may not be so easy to come at; for though scarcely ‘“‘as wily as a widow,” to use the elegant simile of the far- sighted Biggs, she had yet learnt sufficient control of face and manners to baffle the crowd of curious onlookers, male and female, whose business it is in such places as Seamouth to see as much as possible of any games that may be going forward. White and Blue were different. “They were all smiles or frowns as the case might be, and as Lieutenant Smith or Captain Thompson deserved. Everyone might see in a moment, by the first shake of their fringy little heads, whether it was to be peace or war for the said gentlemen, whether the party was properly divided, or the cotil- lon conducted to their satisfaction. But Rose had acquired something in her twenty-five years’ resi- dence in Seamouth which, be it ‘‘ ease of manner,” “* want of feeling,” or ‘‘ affected nonchalance,” as differently decided by her friends, at all events stood her in good stead when she had anything to keep to herself from Seamouth eyes. She was suffering intensely now, as she walked, straight, tall, well dressed and self-possessed, across the market square, down some side streets and onto the country road, which, with an occasional glimpse of the sea on the right hand, goes straight into the loveliest and loneliest country in England. She was not likely to meet anyone she knew, for all her world was at the tennis ground, whither White and Blue, under the charge of a dependable aunt, had driven their ponies an hour ago; and if any carriages met her turning her back on the town, there was always the explanation which she knew so well and had so often listened to so politely, ‘‘Of course you don’t care so much for that sort of thing as the young girls. My Cecilia, or Kate, or Jane, is so devoted to tennis!” All this was very bitter for the girl to bear who had known the intoxication of a first place in a very spirited society where men pre- CORNICE OOOKS (E©) cri i