The Argosy — page 397: what you’re looking at

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

- a eS ae a ee 374 The House of Halliwell. ‘¢ A married man!” uttered Mrs. Copp. ‘“ He had gammoned some young lady into marrying him: a very nice sort of girl she was, too; of respectable family. But they were poor, thought they had a catch in Dick, and hurried on the match.” “Mercy on us!” breathed Aunt Copp. “Is she living?” “To be sure she is. She ‘‘Why, then, the Captain is a married man now,” she screamed, unceremoniously interrupting Major Kerleton. ; ‘Neither more nor less,” returned the Major. ‘‘ When his young wife, poor thing, found out Dick’s infirmity, she refused to remain with him—and quite right of her, too, I think. She has lived since then on the Continent with a married sister; Dick—or, at least, I, for him—allowing her a yearly income.” ) ‘But what a wicked man he must be to attempt to marry my niece when he has a wife living,” remonstrated Aunt Copp. ‘“ Not wicked,” interposed the Major. ‘‘ Upon this point Richard is zmsane ; the doctors say incurably so. He would marry twenty wives 1f he could get the opportunity, and never know that he was doing wrong.” “A regular Bluebeard. . He ought to be tried for bigamy,” groaned Aunt Copp. ‘‘ But it has been a blessed escape for Lucy.” “It has indeed. Not but that I am sincerely grieved he should ever have been brought into contact with your niece, for this exposé cannot Le a pleasant one for her. He left home, it seems, the se day I did, and must have lost no time.” “ He ought to be confined,” said Mrs. Copp. “He is so sane on other points, that to confine him tioiald be scarcely justifiable,” returned the Major. ‘‘ But I shall learn a lesson by this last vagary, and shall place a watch over him, if I have to leave home again.” ‘‘Sane on other points,” repeated Aunt Copp; “‘I don’t know about that. He seems to have unlimited command of money.” “Not unlimited. His fortune is a large one, and he has command Over a portion of it.” . “Perhaps you'll walk this way, sir,” said Mrs. Copp, rising, and leading the way upstairs to a spare bedroom. Hester followed. ‘There !”’ she said, exhibiting the curious lot of presents Lucy had received, “‘ perhaps you can tell me what is to be done with all these, Major Kerleton. ‘The Captain sent them here, and we could not stop him.” Major Kerleton laughed heartily. ‘Poor Dick!” he said, “ this is another of his tricks. He gives away all before him.” ‘“He has supplied the parish here,” was Aunt Copp’s rejoinder. ‘‘What is to be done with these ?” ‘“Whatever you please. If there are any worth keeping, pray retain them. ‘The rest dispose of any way—throw them away if they are no better worth.” Gomilcbooks.co (-)