The Argosy — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

260 THE RESULTS OF A HUNT WEEK. By THE AUTHOR OF **‘ GENTLEMAN STEPHENS,’’ ETC. ETC. J. Hag was the last night of the Hunt Week festivities of Ballaster, and its ball expected to be a nonsuch of the first water. The lights of the assembly rooms gyrated in every direction round its entrance, to which carriages perpetually drove up through a small multitude of lookers-on. ‘“ There’s the best of all!” said an urchin among the crowd ; and few disputed the assertion as a dark-haired, bright-eyed girl in pink paused, among a cluster of opera-cloaked divinities, till her chaperon’s train took itself out of her way. Under the blazing gaslights of the inner staircase it might have been seen that Agatha Ffoulkes had not unjustly taken the golden apple from her neighbours, and that the lady of the impeding train was well worthy to convoy a bevy of beauties to a ball. Was she not Mrs. Prideaux-Power, who had married one of the finest estates in the county and was very kind to the semi-invalid husband attached to its acres? And did she not value herself far less on that brilliant account than on being a highly-representative member of that family of long descent, the Poindexters, which had sent gallant warriors to the field and beauties to the altar, but had never produced one cool or prudent individual, whatever it had achieved in the way of scapegraces? ‘‘ Ffere’s a good joke!” whispered she to Miss Ffoulkes, indicating a burly, stiff-backed elderly man, mounting the stairs in front of them. ‘‘Old Seaton and I hate each other like poison, you know, yet we always meet on these stairs and generally end by making our entrée together into the room! How d’ye do, Mr. Seaton? You are not going to cut me, I hope?” she ended, her nimble foot landing her on a level with the object of her remarks. The stiffest of hands met the lady’s finger tips, but a more cordial welcome was accorded her by Mr. Seaton’s daughter at his side. The shrinkingly modest air of this fair maiden, while it formed half her attraction made people often pass her by at a first glance as insignificant ; only to return perforce to discover she was refined and fair, and lastly to pronounce her lovely. An affectionate hand-pressure passed between her and Agatha, and a softly-breathed, ‘‘I want so much to see you,” drew the | girls apart from the rest, so that they might enter the cloak-room ) together. ‘Can you tell me if Lord Heliotrope is arrived?” asked Mr. Seaton of Mrs. Prideaux-Power, as one whose words were drawn | from him under the thumb-screw. | | CORNICLOOOKS.(COn1) a