The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-10-10
AGI9CEIsEs,A.HEX
A Boarding House Romanee.
iooNTINUED.J

q" .
Mrs. Primrose thanked me for my
sympathy. with her handkerchief
raised to her eyes, and added that
dear Livy's complexion was so bril-.
liant that it deceived many people.
She then pointed out @ Capt Ver-
non, and IN loud whisper, which
aD sure he heard, informed me that
he was the, younger son OF noble
family, but had the advantage over
most younger sons, of inheriting o
country estate and fine fortune from
his mother, and having seen plenty
of active service, he had now retired
on his larrels, and she thought would
take o wife and settle down to q quiet
home life. She said this 80 signifi-
cantly that I could only conclude that
her daughter was his choice; and yet,
as / Hooked Of himykI could scarcely
think such G man would choose su,.h
woman. He was apparently about
forty, and though not positively
handsome, there was something
noble and aristocratic in his face, and
soldier-ike ard commanding in his
tall, fine figure. Hhe expression of
his clear blue eyes was frank and
open, and the lines of his mouth firm
and decided, with touch of satire.
He was polite and attentive to all the
ladies, and if rather more 80 to La
vinia than to the rest, it was appa-
rently because she drew it forth. At
dinner, had an opportunity of OBJ
serving the rest of the company.
There were two sisters, Miss White
and Miss Bella White; the elder o
noisy, rather vulgar woman, who
made fun of every one in good
tempered sort of way, and laughed
long and loudly at her own jokes,
which sometimes went home too
severely to be enjoyed by those
against whom they were directed; the
younger sister was quieter, and pre-
tended to be shocked at ssFan's" out
bursts, but she was more objection
able with her affectation and her
over-attempts to be q lady than the
other with her noise and coarseness.
There was quiet old lady who did
not talk much, and took everything
and everybody just as she found
them. A thin, tall, elderly city gen
tleman took the bottom of the table;
he wore rusty black tail-coat, stiff
white neck-cloth, and high shirt col
lar; his manner was grave and i'm
pressive, and he dignified every lady
with the appellation of 'sMum," and
tried to be particularly civil to the
eldest Miss White. There was also a
stout stock broker, who wore a short
cut-away coat and coiored neck tie,
Nth red blotchy face and straight
brown hair, who never looked off his
plate, Except to address Miss Bella
White, and kept one in state of
alarm lest he should have fit of apo
plexy.
Remarks upon the fare at table
were pretty freely made on ell sides,
and Twas surprised to find how coolly
our hostess listened to them, (they
would have been in such different
strain had the company been "visi-
tors" instead of "boarders.") Mrs.
Stacey complained of everything,
and kept enumerating the things she
was sure must be in season, and
s'quite reasonable" and wondering
that Mrs. Wilson did not see about
them; still she managed to make q
very good dinner, and partook of
every dish with the air of martyr.
The fair Lavinia's appetite was
such as might be expected from the
delicate creature her mother had de-
scribed her to be; but as afterwards
found that she made an early tea in
her own room at five o'clock, I was
no longer surprised. But she seemed
to think that her neighbor, the Cap
tain, ought not to be hungry either,
for she piled him continually with
questions. and allowed him little time
for eating.
After we had returned to the draw
ing-room, the eldest Miss White sat
by me and entered into conversation,
and kept me on what is called
"thorns," by the remarks which she
made about every one in her loud
key. She informed me that Captain
Vernon had been to Mrs. Wilson's 8
four years running and that Lavinia
Primrose and her mother were trying
hard to catch him, as he was worth
having; that it was sll very fine of
Mrs. Primrose to ape the grand lady
now. but that she could remember
the time, not 30 very far back either,
when Mrs. Primrose had kept the
"Green Dragon" in Cheapside. and