The Argosy — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

The House of Halliwell. IOI “‘ For de fashions here, she do,” answered mademoiselle, shrugging her shoulders at the “fashions here.” ‘“ But she has got de vanity! And not no mercy. She has turned de head of dat poor young min- ister, and ~ Something like a great spasm took Hester’s throat. ‘ Do you mean Mr. Archer?” she interrupted. “To be sure. One can see dat his heart is breaking for her. And she leads him on—leads him on. I do tink she loves him one little bit—but I only whisper dis to you, my dear, for de Earl and de Com- tesse would give me chivy if dey heard me. But when she has amused herself to her fancy, she will just laugh at him, and marry. It 1s her fiancé dat is de handsome man.” Hester’s heart leaped into her mouth. ‘Is Lady Georgina Seaford engaged ?” she burst forth. ‘You do seem surprised,” cried the French woman. ‘She is to kave Mr. Caudour. He is my Lord Caudour’s eldest son, and is now abroad wid some of the embassies. Dat is why he has never been here. He is some years older dan she, but it is de good parti for her, and dey will be married dis summer.” Mademoiselle talked on, thinking Hester listened, but she heard no more. A weight was taken from her heart. And yet, with what reason? For to couple a lowly curate with the Lady Georgina Seaford was ridiculously absurd, and her good sense told her so. She had to wait to see the Countess ; it was the evening she gave her the bracelet; and it was nearly six when she left the castle. The evening is in hermemory now. It was still and balmy, and the sun was drawing towards its setting. She took the slanting cut through the park, which was the shortest way, and, in hastening along the narrow path, where the trees hung thickly overhead, she came face to face with Mr. Archer. He was going there to dinner: she saw it by his dress. He shook hands in a constrained manner, and then there was a silence between them, as there often had been of late. Some power—Hester has never thought it was her own— nerved her to speak. ““T wanted to see you. JI am glad we have met. We heard this afternoon that you had given up your curacy. Is it so?” “Yes,” he answered, breaking offa switch from one of the trees, and beginning to strip it with the air of a man who knows not what he is about, while he kept his face turned from Hester. “Then you have heard of another,” she said. ““T have accepted what may lead to something better than a curacy,” he replied, tearing away at the stick. ‘‘ The post of resident tutor to the young Seafords.” Was it a spasm, now, that fell on Hester’s heart? Ay, one of ice. ‘Then you leave here; you go with them ?” she faltered. ‘“When they leave next week I shall have to accompany them. We must temporarily part, Hester.” COnniclooolkKks (C(O) im =)