The Argosy — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

The House of Halliwell. 361 table to Phceby, or some such carelessness. She’ll put the fowls at the side, and the custards round with the glasses, for of all incapable headpieces, that woman’s is the worst. Oh! if the poor Major could only look up from his grave and witness this state of things! or your dearmamma! Of course you'll have custards ?” “Tf you think it necessary, Aunt Copp,” said Hester ; “ but we do not wish any needless show or expense. Besides the clergyman and his wife, and two or three more friends, there will only be ourselves and Alfred.” “Why, you have never gone and sent for Alfred!” snapped Aunt Copp. It was not that she was really ill-tempered, but her way of snapping people up had grown upon her worse than ever. ‘* Alfred is to marry me, Aunt Copp,” said Mary. “Lord help ye for three thoughtless simpletons—and him for an- other! A poor fellow, whose living is only a hundred and seventy-five pounds a year, fees included, and whose outgoings take it half off pretty near, before he can say a shilling of it is his own, and his wife sick, and his children coming on as thick as blackberries, to be dragged across the country, a hundred miles, to marry a child! It will be four pounds out of his pocket.” “Tt will not be out of Azs pocket, Aunt Copp,” interrupted Lucy in a nettled tone; “‘we have taken care of that.” But Aunt Copp only groaned for answer: she never would allow that they did any- thing right. “And pray, Miss Lucy, is there anything of the sort agate for you ?” she went on. | “Why, Aunt Copp!” ejaculated Lucy, laughing and blushing. “Of course not.” ““T don't see any ‘of course’ in the matter. If Hester is fated to live and die an old maid, that’s no reason why you should. I advise you to set about looking out for a suitable husband. If you have | not Mary’s beauty, you are a likely-looking, lady-like girl, and you'll never see seven-and-twenty again. Keep your weather eye open, and —dear me! the very thing!” This concluding exclamation, in a changed tone of voice, as if Aunt Copp had just recollected something, caused them to look at her. “I wish to goodness I knew where he was bound to! But, you | see, when I got out, he went on in the mail.” | | | 2 ) a _ lll"F.. U4 eee —— ‘What is it you are talking of, Aunt Copp? ” “Such a charming gentleman! He was my _fellow-passenger. _ Where he came from, I cannot tell you, for he was in the mail when _Igotin. I should think, by his conversation, he was a Londoner, and had been down to our part of the country. A fine man as you’d wish to see, six foot high, with a full blue eye, and a colour like ared cabbage. He told me he was looking out for a wife, and had | Come out, travelling, to find one, and meant to marry as soon as he COMICOOOlKS.EcO aur)