The Argosy, Volume XXIV — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Gabriel’s Appointment. 6) which that very incongruity gave to her own fancy, and was as eager to begin as Myra was to sit. All minor preliminaries being arranged, Mrs. Salisbury unlocked the leathern box and took out the diamonds. They were arranged in a complete set for a lady’s wear—necklace, earrings, brooch, and bracelet. By far the most valuable, from the size and colour of the stones, was the necklace, as Alice saw, and it frightened her to have such a treasure in her charge. Mrs. Salisbury smiled a little at her naive wonder; but the smile changed to sadness as she placed the necklace and earrings in Myra’s hand, and drew back to observe the effect. “T shall be grateful to you, my dear,” she said, kindly, “if you help me to connect these things with hope, and talent, and energy. The artist who brings such qualities to such a work is richer than these could make her.” The work began, and so prosperously, thanks to the goodwill of painter and sitter, that considerable progress had been effected before they were interrupted by a visit from Dr. Nelson. No one else would have been admitted, but Myra was eager to show him the jewels; and Mrs. Salisbury’s nervous anxiety was relieved by his arrival in time to judge if the excitement were too much for her brain. He was very kind and pleasant, Alice thought, and displayed great interest in the portrait, standing behind her chair for some little time to watch her proceedings—and letting a sigh escape him, which recalled what she had heard of his sorrows. His wife had, indeed, been gifted with a considerable amount of taste and execution; and it was not till he had mastered his voice that he could begin to criticise. When he did, it was to find fault with Alice’s anatomy—a subject on. which she was always rather sensitive, knowing it to be her weak point. She argued, rather petulantly, that one couldn’t be always attending ‘to those little things when full of the general effect. ‘You would find your own general effect rather peculiar, if those little things were wot attended to,” said the doctor. His attention was called away by Myra, who wanted him to guess at the value of the necklace. Without committing himself on that point, he admired them to her heart’s content, and told her several curious facts about diamonds, and the perils endured in their pursuit—perils which to her imagination possessed a wonderful charm. Any adventures or difficulties that made you rich were well worth going through only wished she ood meet with some. “Ah,” he said, ‘‘if these gems could speak, perhaps their tale would make you think differently. We read of sermons in stones— but stones like these deal mostly in tragedies ; and their brightness, if we knew all, would seem but a shining mockery !” The light was playing on the treasured jewels as he spoke, and if things inanimate could indeed have found a voice to answer, they must have laughed him to scorn. Little did he know what their comicbooks.com