The Argosy — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

278 The House of Halliwell. name for his mother) ‘‘ keeps her in the background, till Mat and Fan are got off. I say, how old should you think Mat is?” ‘“T heard your mamma say that Miss Zink was turned twenty.” “And a jolly long turn, too. She was twenty-seven last birthday, and Fan’s going on for twenty-five. Why, Mabel’s twenty !” “But don’t you think we might talk about something else?” interposed Hester. ‘‘ Your sisters may not like to have their ages discussed.” ‘They can lump it. Mat and Fan magged out as loud as the missis against my going boating, but I said if they made me come in here I’d spoil sport. They fight and scratch each other after the new parson: metaphorically, you know, but they’d like to do it in earnest, if it could be kept from his ears. The missis favours Matilda, because she’s the eldest, and it is her turn to go off first, but he may have the pick of the two, I can tell you.” ‘Are you fond of singing?” questioned Hester, hoping that might divert the young gentleman. ‘Ves, Iam, over the left,” retorted Mister Zink. “I get rather too much of it for that. Mat and Fan are squalling against time from morning till night, since they found out the parson had a voice. I told them to-day that if they thought to hook him by noise, they might find themselves in the wrong box, for which I had to make a bolt. I wish he had never come near the place, I do.” “Tam sorry he should be so unfortunate as to have displeased you.” “Tt is so naggering, you see,” proceeded Mister Zink. “A fellow was left free as a hare before, but deuce a bit of that now. One halloos out, ‘Tray, go and change those dirty boots: Mr. Halliwell’s coming to tea.’ ‘Then the other screams, ‘Tray, for goodness’ sake go and make yourself decent! what an object you are! your head’s like a mop! we expect Mr. Halliwell.’ Last night we had a sharp dispute over it. I wanted Tom Fisher in: they said rude chaps like ‘Tom Fisher were not society for the parson, and wouldn’t let him come. So I walked myself out, and never came in till half- past eleven, and got a rowing from the missis and the governor. And one dare not leave as much as a flea in the drawing-room. I puta fishing-rod in the corner the other day, and they squealed after me as if it had been a serpent: ‘Now, Tray, don’t bring these things here! we can’t have this room made into a litter; Mr. Halliwell may be calling.’ J thought a parson was a peaceable man. I should be ashamed, if I were one, to cause the rumpus in a house that he does iy the” “But, really,” urged Hester, “it appears to me that the ‘rumpus ” is not his fault.” “ Well, I know I’m sick of it, and I wish he would marry one of the girls, and put a stop to the humbugging. I shouldn’t care whether it was one of my sisters or anybody else’s—though precious GEomicbooks.co