The Argosy — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

“ Fohn Smith, Funor.”’ 123 probably took young Smith everywhere as his friend, and as he certainly behaved like a gentleman, no awkward questions were asked. Fastidious, exclusive Frances felt some surprise at this, which reached its culmination when she met them at last at the house of that even more exclusive young lady, Miss Fitzhardy. She could not re- sist making a remark on the subject to Alicia when the two girls were talking over the party next day, while they sipped their afternoon tea. “Why, my dear child,” she replied, “they go everywhere. ‘The two are inseparable, and, you know, young Smith is quite wonderful, considering. Of course he has nothing to do with the business. I suppose he will be enormously rich,” she added with a sigh; ‘‘ his father intends him to go into Parliament, and they say he is really very clever. As for Mr. Josselyn, everybody knows who he is; and, oh, Frances, is he not—truly—delightful P ” Frances looked up quickly—surely Alicia was blushing. What did it mean? She felt a sudden sharp pang of jealousy. With this strange, new pain at her heart she could no longer bear going over and over the trivial details of last night’s entertainment; so she got away from her friend as soon as she could find a decent excuse, and went home. On her arrival she went straight up into the drawing-room, and found Mrs. Lisle and Edith alone over the remains of the tea. ‘“T wish you had been at home, Francie,’ said her mother. ‘“ Mr. John Smith, Junior, and Mr. Josselyn have just been here, and we have given them some tea. Have you had yours, or shall I put a little more hot water into the pot and give you a cup?” Frances could scarcely intimate that she had already taken tea when Edith rushed into the conversation with, “‘ Oh, Frances, how nice he is !—Mr. Josselyn, I mean. He talked to me all the time. I was quite afraid of him at first, because he is so dreadfully clever, but he was awfully jolly—I think he is quite the nicest young man I ever saw; and what do you think, he says if I do go to Passy he hopes he may see something of me, because he will probably be in Paris all next winter.” Poor Frances could say nothing, her mind was in a tumult, jealousy was rampant now. What did it all mean? What right had he to bring the blush to Alicia’s cheek, and to come putting ideas into the head of a bit of a girl like Edith, when all the while ? Oh! he must be.a flirt—a flirt ! Then the thought of poor Mr. Fitzhardy flashed across her ; perhaps he had some right to accuse her of flirting. Yet the encouragement she gave him had been very lukewarm at its best—she knew now that she had never cared for him, except as an agreeabie acquaintance. But for this other ?—well, when they next met she would show him how lightly she held attentions so profusely scattered around. She had not long to wait for an opportunity. They met that GomiilGaooks (S©@)