The Argosy — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

282 The House of Halliwell. over disgusting parish business—contaminated our fingers, sewing for those grubs of charity children—had him to our house at all hours and all meals—learnt new songs for him—worn new dresses for him—and to be served in this treacherous way! to be despised and deserted for that little wretch of a Mabel!” With the last words Miss Zink recommenced the dance of her legs. Hester thought she would leave the grotto, and was gliding from it when she saw her brother approaching, with Mabel on his arm. ‘“ Hester,” he sang out, ‘do you happen to know where Mrs. Zink is 2?” se She: is here” 'Don t.comean!s scrbandae Matilda, as they drew near the en- trance; ‘‘ don’t contaminate us with your presence. Oh, you false— thieves !” Hester was not sufficiently collected to note all that passed ; but she heard her brother say that Mabel had promised to be his wife, provided her parents had no objection. It was Miss Matilda, he inti- mated, who had caused him to speak so soon; otherwise he should have chosen another time and place. To describe the discomfiture of the pic-nic party when the news spread would be a task. Could they have shaken their Vicar in a bag, it might have relieved their feelings in a measure; but to shake Mabel to the bottom of the sea and leave her there would have re- lieved them more effectually. Mrs. Zink alone was composed: when her disappointment about Matilda went off, she subsided into a quiet glow of triumph. She /ad secured him: if not for one daughter, for another. A Mrs. Rice came up to Hester, antl spoke in a confidential tone. ‘It is the most unsuitable wife your brother could have chosen ; and I am not actuated by ¢hezr motives, Miss Halliwell, in saying 50, for my girls are under ten. Mabel Zink ought to marry a rich man, who could keep her in idleness, for she is an incapable do-nothing, and she will never be anything else. He had better have taken Matilda.” ‘“‘ Mabel is young,” rejoined Hester. “Quite old enough to have distanced the others in the race,” quoth Mrs. Rice, significantly. ‘‘ She laid her plans deeper than any of them, and she has won.” ‘Mabel Zink never strove to win Alfred!” uttered Hester. ‘So you may think,” answered Mrs. Rice. ‘I have seen a good deal, living, as I do, next door to the Zinks, and always running in and out. Mabel was kept back by her mother, but she put herself forward. She would steal an interview with your brother in the hall and chatter to him; she would meet him out of doors ; in fact, they were always meeting, and she would put on her pretended shy, attractive, modest ways. I heard her invite herself to your house that evening, and saw through it. Not a young lady in Chelson has laboured more assiduously to catch him than has Mabel Zink.” Eomichbooks.co