The Argosy — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

The Lady’s Coin. yg ' “T’ll never marry anyone else,” sobbed Rose, ‘‘Never—never. You may separate us if you choose, mother, but you can’t tear him out of my heart.” “For that I have no desire, my dear,” said the Marchioness, with a touch of her fascinating smile. ‘“ He will fade out of it quite soon enough, in the course of nature. You are fresh from the world of novels, Rose, as yet. In real life hearts are not so unchangeable.” “Then I hate real life, mother. But I don’t believe it.” ‘Perhaps I should not have believed it once,” said the Marchioness. “1 knew a girl once—just your age—as devotedly in love as any of your poets could desire. We were bosom friends, that girl and I a She paused for a moment, and Rose looked up, her attention arrested. The Marchioness was smiling still; but the smile was just a little fixed. ‘‘ Yes, she loved someone so much that when they were parted, she thought she could never be happy again. She wished she could die, fora time. But it passed over.” ; ‘And did she marry anyone else?” “Yes, before they had been separated a year. He had promised to come back if he were fortunate, and try again. But he was not fortunate. He failed. And she had wise parents—such as myself. ‘They enabled her to see that if he had been worthy of her love, if he had cared for it as she imagined he did, he would not have failed—he would have come back with honours. So she saw how undignified it would be on her part to wait for one who would not work for her ; and by dint of resolution she overcame her foolishness, and made a sensible marriage.’ ‘““ Her parents made it for her, I suppose.” “They convinced her of her duty in the matter, certainly; as I trust, my dear, some day to convince you.” ‘“ Never,” cried Rose passionately. But the Marchioness smiled again, and sailed from the room. On the stairs she met an elderly little man, his brow peevish, his hands full of papers. ‘No rest even in this short holiday, Claremont ? You will be able to come with us to the ball to-night, I conclude?” _ ‘Impossible, Eleanor. You must make my excuses. I have most important committee business to look into this evening. I can’t on any account be interrupted.” He passed her rapidly, and vanished. ‘The Marchioness saw no occasion to trouble him concerning Rose and Godfrey. He was a complete Gallio in the affairs of his younger children, and left them all to his wife. IIT. “SUCH a romantic story, = lady. I’m sure it would interest your ladyship.” Cichee It was the Seiedbiiceicns? s maid who spoke. She was arraying her mistress for the ball: a: fancy dress ball, masked, to be held at a ECORMMICEIOOKS. ECO am