The Argosy — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

| Featherston’s Story. 207 _ What people were they that you stayed with in London, Nancy?” - Lavinia inquired of her sister on the first favourable opportunity. Nancy glanced round the salon before answering, as if to make sure they were alone; but Captain Fennel had gone out for a stroll. | We were at James Fennel’s, Lavinia.” | & What—the brother’s! And has he a wife?” “Yes; a wife, but no children. Mrs, James Fennel has money | of her own, which she receives weekly.” “Receives weekly !” echoed Lavinia. ; She owns some little houses which are let out in weekly tene- | ments ; an agent collects the rents, and brings her the money every Tuesday morning. She dresses in the shabbiest things sometimes, and does her own housework, and altogether is not what I should call quite a lady, but she is very good-hearted. She did her best to make us comfortable, and never grumbled at our staying so long. _Lexpect Edwin paid her something. James only came home by fits ) and starts. I think he was in some embarrassment-—debt, you know. He used to dash into the house like a whirlwind when he did come, | and steal out of it when he left, peering about on all sides.” * Have they a nice house ?” asked Lavinia. | “Oh, good gracious, no! It’s not a house at all, only small | lodgings. And Mrs. James changed them twice over whilst we were \ there. When we first went they were at a place called Ball’s | Pond.” _ “Why did you stay all that time?” |} Mrs. Edwin Fennel shook her head helplessly ; she could not | answer the question. ‘“‘I should have liked to come back before,” She said; ‘it was very wearisome, knowing nobody and having nothing to do. Did you find it dull here, Lavinia, all by yourself? ” “* Dull’ is not the right word for it,” answered Lavinia, catching i her breath with a sigh. ‘‘I felt more lonely, Ann, than I shall | ever care to feel again. Especially when I had to come home at | night from some soirée, or from spending the evening quietly with : Mary Cardiac or any other friend.” And she went on to tell of the | ey of terror which had so tried her. “TI never heard of such a thing!” exclaimed Ann, * How silly ] “you must be, Lavinia! What could there have been in the house to | frighten you?” “T don’t know; I wish I did know,” sighed Lavinia, just as she \ had said more than once before. Nancy, who was attired in a bright ruby cashmere robe, with 4a gold chain and locket, some blue ribbons adorning her light | ringlets, for she had made a point of dressing more youthfully than pever since her marriage, leaned back in her chair, as she sat staring at her sister and thinking. “ Lavinia,” she said huskily, “you remember the feeling you COMIC OOO ‘S (CO) im aS Pe Ga ©2467 Sd s OA, Te 2