The Argosy — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

oo EEO EEO 270 The House of Halliwell. accomplish this good, of themselves, why could they not have done it in the time of the last Vicar, or at least have prevented things from getting as you describe ?” ‘My dear Miss Halliwell, there must be a head: your brother has to be referred to on all occasions. In any little doubt or difficulty we fly to him, and indeed we never like to hold a meeting unless he is present. Now, Mr. Clarke, the last Vicar (a very good old soul, in the abstract), was as deaf as a post and a martyr to rheumatism. There would have been no satisfaction in working for him. For the last five years of his life he had to be dragged into church by Betty and the beadle, and did all the duty from the reading-desk.” “Ts my brother liked here?” Hester ventured to inquire. “Liked! he is adored,” returned Mrs. Zink. ‘‘ And the greatest pleasure we enjoy is looking after his domestic comforts. He seems to have as much notion of home-management asthe curate at the other church has of preaching.” “He was always deficient in that sort of usefulness,” remarked — Hester. “I think clergymen frequently are.” ‘“ Ah, poor things!” aspirated Mrs. Zink; “ these inexperienced saints of clergymen are like doves, pecked at by every raven that comes near them, in the shape of tradespeople and servants. And they fall into snares so unsuspiciously! Would you believe that your brother was actually going to retain the late Vicar’s female servant?” ‘“ Indeed,” answered Hester, not quite knowing what she might be expected to say. “To be sure she is no beauty, and she is turned five-and-forty,” went on Mrs. Zink. ‘“‘ It is Betty, the woman who opened the door for you, the sexton’s sister. He could not understand why she would not do for him, as she had done for the late Vicar. But I, and Mrs. Farley, and Mrs. Dewisson, and Mrs. Hook, and a few more, stepped privately up here, and pointed out to Mr. Halliwell that there was a wide difference between old Clarke, going on for eighty and no teeth, and a handsome young man like himself. ‘There certainly mzght not have been any scandal talked in the parish, and I shall never forget the unsuspicious young Vicar’s astonished looks at our hinting that it was possible ; but we told him that it was better to steer wide and clear, and give it a distant berth. So, until now, nobody has lived in the house with him but the sexton’s son Jim, an extremely handy young man of one-and-twenty.” ‘Then has my brother no maid-servant ?” inquired Hester, won- dering where Mrs. Zink’s communications would end. ‘““He has taken her on now, in expectation of your arrival: she came in yesterday. A sight of dirt, she has just told me, she found to clean up in the house, especially in Jim’s bedroom in the cock- loft.” ‘““T fear it must have been rather awkward, both for my brother and the young man, to contrive for themselves without a woman-ser- GEomichbooks.co