The Argosy — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

The Results of a Hunt Week. 29 A tap on the shoulder recalled her to herself with a start. ‘‘ How much for the thoughts?” said Mrs. Prideaux-Power. “Is that poor little Miss Seaton in any trouble? I should never be out of it if that squire of starch were my father.” ‘She has a trying time of it often,” said Agatha, longing to tell, but resisting the impulse honourably. ‘ And it is such a pity, for he evidently loves her dearly after all.” «©¢] will kill her first and love her after,’ ” laughed Mrs. Prideaux- Power. ‘‘ Not but that I adore old Seaton after a fashion ; and the best fun I get nowadays is baiting and chaffing him. Come along, girls ! I never saw such a pack of incapables, keeping Agatha and me all this time!” The usual group of men stood around the principal entrance to the ball-room, and among them the individual already noted as taking heed of a lady’s passing blush and smile. Ted Godfrey had been mentally reposing on no “grassy lawn ” this week, and had made a league and covenant with himself several times that the valses and lancers of to-night’s programme should wail and warble for other ears than his, ‘That the Spaniard’s proverbial She was the cause of this sloomy resolve may be safely assumed, and hope played fast and loose with him in most tormenting fashion. He could not say that she had been otherwise than gracious to him, at times, but to balance these ecstatic moments remained the fact that throughout the week wheresoever Miss Ffoulkes was found there also was Rick Pontifex. Only last night, at an intermediate dance, sandwiched between the two hunt balls proper, he had surprised the pair in a con- servatory in deep colloquy at which, from the silence that followed his entrance, no third person was evidently desired. Then and there he vowed to himself that he would leave them to themselves in conservatories and everywhere else thenceforth to the crack o’ doom, and having no other personal interest in seeing the week out, determined to depart after the races with those whose world is governed by that noble animal, the horse. None the less, few will be surprised to hear that among the first to appear at the assembly rooms was Ted Godfrey, and that he saw with eyes of glass, as it were, the many types of beauty that filed past till that one should come that had cost him more anxiety than tranquillity of late. A young exquisite, called Charley Byce, loquacious and vain, but not devoid of heart, touched his elbow. ‘How well Lady Ruth Percy looks to-night,” he said. ‘‘ Did you hear me urging her last night to keep to pale blue P—and you see.” Ted looked indifferently towards the lady indicated. ‘““T do,” he said laconically. ‘Are not you going to dance ?” ‘TY think not,” arching his eyebrows in critical survey of the ladies unclaimed. ‘‘ Ah! here comes Mrs. Prideaux-Power. There is always something worth looking at in her train. And am I not right? Just oblige me by a glance at that pink dress.” CoOnnicloookKSs (SO) mn