The Argosy — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

346 In the Primrose Time. ‘Vou tell me he is devoured by pride and Jealous mistrust. He is the husband you have chosen. You say you have no friend left but me. Friend! Iam no friend of yours. I am your lover or nothing. ‘So, of your pity, I beseech you to leave us. Had I my freedom, I would gladly put the wide world’s space between us, but you know I am bound, tied hand and foot by my duty to my father, while you stay here against your husband’s wish, just of your own choice. “Therefore, Go! Though it breaks my heart to say so—my love, my queen. ‘For me all is lost, fors Phonneur !” Nansie put it down and looked about bewildered. She had spelled so far painfully and carefully without much sense of the words reaching her. It did not much matter that she left the rest unread. It was a very boyish effusion to the last, exaggerated in its phrasing but honest in its exaggeration. And Philip was the writer. That dawned on her atlast. ‘Then she crushed it vehemently in her hands and dropped her head forward on her knees, struggling with an actual physical spasm of pain that pierced her through and through. “Cuckoo, cuckoo!” sang the bird overhead, and ‘“* Cuckoo, cuckoo! bring us good luck,” sang the children in answer. Nansie picked up her hat and russet cloak and went to meet them, carrying the basket. ‘The boys had fine store of ‘‘ palms” to bear in church to-morrow, the girls scampered on ahead to unlock the gate to the road. Nansie overtook them just as a carriage with a handsome pair of ponies drew up with a cloud of dust. ‘‘ Bring those primroses to me, and let me see them,” cried the lady who was driving. Nansie’s face grew set and dour, and she advanced unwillingly. Yet to anyone but Nansie the lady would have been fair to look upon. A brilliant dark beauty with a rich bloom on her cheek, soft dark eyes under heavy lashes, and red, smiling lips. ‘“T will buy them. Here, put them in the carriage.” ‘““No. You cannot have them. They are for the church,” said Nansie with scant civility. ‘‘ Nonsense! You can get plenty more ; here’s half-a-crown.” ‘“No. I will not give them to you.” She turned away abruptly, drawing away Baby Nell, whom the lady had bent forward to notice. She was a hot-tempered lady, unused to opposition. ‘“‘Simpleton!” she said angrily, her black brows frowning. ‘‘ Oh, I forgot. The village idiot. You ought to be shut up. Out of the way, children !” and she made her ponies start and dash forward with the sharp cut she gave them. ‘“ Doesn’t oo like that pretty lady ?”” demanded Baby Nell. ‘‘She is Lady March; I hate her,” Nansie answered to herself. | Then they crossed the road and climbed the stile into the field-path to the parish church. Gomicbooks.co SS gy - = — ET SS eae ———_