The Argosy — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

118 Featherston’s Story. a light tone as if intensely amused. ‘‘ You must not take up tance Mrs. Fennel.” ‘‘T suppose Mrs. Selby thought it would be sufficient income for us, both living together,” remarked Nancy. “If either of us should die it all lapses to the other. We found it quite enough last year, I assure you, Edwin ; Sainteville is so cheap a place.” ‘Oh, delightfully cheap,” agreed the Captain. It was this conversation that Nancy repeated to Lavinia; but she did not speak of the queer look which had frightened her. Lavinia saw that Mr. Edwin Fennel had taken up a wrong idea of their in- come. Of course the disappointment angered him. An aspect of semi-courtesy was outwardly maintained in the inter- course of home life. Lavinia was a gentlewoman; she had not: spoken unpleasant things to the Captain’s face, or hinted that he was a weight upon the housekeeping pocket; while he, as yet, was quite officiously civil to her. But there was no love lost between them; and Lavinia could not divest her mind of an undercurrent of conviction that he was, in some way or other, a man to be dreaded. Thus Captain Fennel (as he was mostly called) being domiciled with the estimable ladies in the petite Maison Rouge, grew to be con- sidered one of the English colony of Sainteville and was received as. such. As nobody knew aught against him, nobody thought anything. Major Smith had not spoken of antecedents, neither had Miss Preen; the Cardiacs, who were in the secret, never spoke ill of anyone: and as the Captain could assume pleasing manners at will, he became fairly well liked by his country people in a passing sort of way. “ Lavinia Preen sat one day upon the low edge of the pier, her backto the sun and the sea. She had called in at the little shoe shop on the port, just as you turn out of the Rue Tessin, and had left her parasol there. The sun was not then out in the grey sky, and she did not miss it. Now that the sun was shining and the grey canopy above had become blue, she said to herself that she had been stupid. Is | was September weather, so the sun was not unbearable. Lavinia Preen was thinner ; the thraldom of the past three moni had made herso. Nowand then it would cross her mind to leave the petite Maison Rouge to its married inmates; but for Nancy’s sake she. hesitated. Nancy had made the one love of her life, and Nancy had loved her in return. Now, the love was chiefly given to the new tie. ; she had formed ; Lavinia was second in every respect. “ They go their way now, and I have to go mine,” sighed Lavinia as she sat this morning on the pier. ‘‘ Even my walks have to be solitary.” A cloud came sailing up and the sun went in again. Lavinia rose. she walked onwards till she came to the end of the pier, where she again sat down. The next moment, chancing to look the way she had come, she saw a lady and gentleman advancing arm-in-arm. | COMICMIOOKS Eola) |