The Argosy — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

96 The House of Halliwell. “ Dangerous P”: “Well, it would be, I should say, if he were not cased-round with your armour.” 4 How much more nonsense, Lucy? One so high and beautiful as Lady Georgina!” “That’s just it, her beauty,” laughed Lucy. “I will defy the lowliest curate in the church to be brought within its radius, and not be touched with it. Nevertheless, I suppose you will have your adorer here to-morrow morning, as constant as ever.” And he came. No one was in the room, and he clasped Hester to his breast and kissed her tenderly. Her two months’ absence were amply repaid by his looks and words of love. ‘‘T thought to have seen you last night,” she whispered. ‘So did I, Hester. I had been copying some music for Lady Georgina, and went to the castle with it, after dinner; and the Countess, and some of them, kept me talking till past ten. I was thunderstruck when I took out my watch, for I did not think I had been there am hour.” | In his coveted presence, with his tender words, with his looks o love, how could Hester conjure up uneasy thoughts? And what had grated on her feelings in this last speech, she drove away. Mrs. Halliwell had made acquaintance with the housekeeper at the castle, a reduced gentlewoman, whose husband had also been in the army. Mrs. Stannard had taken tea with them once or twice, and it was from her Lucy got what she styled her ‘ fashionable intelligence.”” One morning, about a week after Hester’s return, Mrs. Stannardi called, and asked if she would like to go to the castle and teach: English to the little Lady Ellen Seaford. This child, the youngest off the family, had a Swiss governess, but no one, just then, to teach her English. Lady Seaford was lamenting this in the hearing of Mrs.. Stannard, and the latter thought of Miss Halliwell. ) Hester was electrified—frightened—at the proposal. ‘I am not competent to be a governess ; I don’t know anything ; I never played a note of music,” she breathlessly said. “It is only for English, my dear,” said Mrs. Stannard, ‘‘I am sure you must be quite competent to teach that. They don’t want music or any other accomplishment. Your going to the castle for two or three hours a day would be quite pastime, and you would be paid well.” So it was decided that Hester should go, each day, from _half-past: two to five, to give Lady Ellen Seaford English lessons. She entered on her duties the following Monday, and went up to the old castle with fear and trembling, wondering what real lords and ladies were like in social intercourse, and how they would accost her and what: she should answer; wondering whether she should have to sit in a saloon, all gilding and mirrors. “The goose I was!” poor Hester said afterwards. The schoolroom was plain, almost bare, and the: lords and ladies were just like other people; free and unceremoniouss Gomilcbooks.com