The Argosy — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

The House of Halliwell. 367 Copp. ‘You call tell him you wish to see a little more of him before deciding: that will be neither accepting nor rejecting, and give you both time to improve your acquaintance with each other. L'il manage it.” Before they could prevent her, she dashed out of the room and joined the Captain, whom they had heard whistling as he leaned from the window. What she said to him neither Hester nor Lucy knew, but she reappeared with the Captain in her wake, and the latter fell on his regimental knees, in the most ridiculous manner, and began kissing Lucy’s hand. When they could get him off his knees and his heroics, Hester and Mrs. Copp strove to convince him how the case stood: that he was not to look upon Lucy as engaged to him, but that she was willing to meet him as an acquaintance, till they had seen more of each other. Oh, yes, yes, he agreed to everything, too glad to do it, except to taking back the presents. He grew excited when it was named, and said they would. never mention it again, unless they wished to cut him to the throat. Whether he unintentionally sub- stituted that word for heart, or whether he really contemplated making an illegitimate use of his shaving razors, in case his presents were rejected, they did not comprehend. ‘‘ Never mind the presents, Lucy,” cried Aunt Copp ; ‘“‘don’t offend him: it will be time enough to send them back if you finally reject him.” So Captain Kerleton stayed on at the Seaford Arms, and Aunt Copp stayed on with her nieces, for she argued that to leave Lucy at so critical a period would not be “ ship-shape.” It came to be rumoured in the village that the Captain and Lucy were engaged, and some congratulated her, in spite of her denial, and some were envious. The Captain had bought favour on all sides. When any- one gave a party, there would appear dishes of the choicest fruit, the offering of the Captain, and baskets of fish were perpetually arriving everywhere with the Captain’s card: he kept the younger ladies in gloves and bouquets, and once, when a concert was to be given in the village for the benefit of the poor music master, the Captain bought up all the tickets, and treated everybody. Twice he scattered silver by the handful amongst the field labourers, and the village was in an uproar for days afterwards, to the wrath of the farmers and the edification of the beershops. Nothing came amiss to the Captain’s purse ; whatever he saw, he bought up and distributed, from parcels of new books to litters of sucking-pigs. As to Lucy Halliwell, the things that arrived for her were just as incongruous. One morning there was a knock at the door, and upon Pheeby’s answering it, an air-cushion was delivered to her; an hour afterwards there was another knock, and this proved to be the milliner’s girl, bearing a flaming rose-coloured bonnet and feathers. Aunt Copp thought these two articles must be meant for her, not being par- ticularly suitable to Lucy: however, they were put by with the rest COnniclooolkKks (S©) am