The Argosy — page 123: what you’re looking at

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106 The House of Halliwell. ‘Mamma will be waiting tea for me,” said Hester. ‘I shall see you another day.” She walked away with her bruised heart. All through that spring and summer she had unconsciously cherished a hope of the period when he should return to the castle. As she reached home Lucy met her. ‘“‘ Hester,” she whispered, ‘‘ we have been hearing some news from Mrs. Stannard. George Archer has made such a fool of himself.” G6 Ah! ) “ Made an offer to the Earl for Lady Georgina, or something of the sort: Mrs. Stannard never came quite at particulars, she says. And the Earl turned him out of the house that same day.” ‘Mademoiselle Berri said he had left,” returned Hester, knowing she must answer something. “I have just seen her in the park.” “T fear you have long been grieving after him,” went on Lucy, “though you persist in being so silent overit. Your coolness with each other, and the breaking off of the engagement, which you never satisfactorily explained, is accounted for now. What an idiot he must be, to have dared to think seriously of Georgina Seaford! I am sure this news must cure you. Never give a thought to him again, Hester ; he is not worth it.” “T do not think of him,” answered Hester, almost fretfully. She could not bear that even Lucy should suspect her misery. ‘What a good thing it 1s, Hester, as things have turned out, that your engagement was not made public, especially at the castle. Lady Georgina and Mr. Caudour were married yesterday.” ‘“Mademotselle said so. What did Mrs. Stannard call here for ? To impart this news about Mr. Archer?” ‘‘She came with a message from the Countess: that little Ellen Seaford would be ready for you whichever day you would like to begin.” “T will not go to the castle again,” said Hester, quietly ; ‘ that 1s Over.” ‘“ Hester,” said her mother to her, as she kissed her forehead when they parted for the night, “you can think over resuming your duties with Lady Ellen Seaford. My opinion, my dear child, is that it will be pleasant to yourself to do so, rather than the contrary, as it will serve to occupy your mind. But if you still say it cannot be, perhaps we can substitute Lucy.” Mrs. Halliwell said no more, only kissed her again, more affec- tionately than usual, but Hester understood. She lay awake all that night, battling with her unhappiness. ‘Towards morning she began to ask herself whether it was not Aer duty to go again to the castle, rather than idly to resign herself to sorrow. It is true she disliked to mingle with them again: to be in the scenes that reminded her so powerfully of Az. Her mother had said that Lucy might possibly be her substitute ; but Lucy’s education had been of a higher order Gomiilcbooks.co l a» \