The Argosy — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

240 THE ARGOSY. masquerading to this suburb of London ; yet from what city or upon what errand I could not so much as surmise. Nevertheless I was sure of two things at the start of it—she was an aristocrat—and her jewels were the finest I had ever seen on woman. | ‘“’There is no one here,’’ I repeated, resisting the temptation to stare at her. ‘‘ I have looked everywhere and am sure of it.’’ She drew a deep breath and appeared to be thinking. Presently, she turned to the buffet and her quick eyes detected that which I had not seen there. It was a handkerchief stained with blood. She held it for a moment in her shapely hand which quivered as a leaf that is to fall. ‘“My God!” she exclaimed, while all the color rushed from her face, ‘‘what has happpened, where are they—why do I suffer like this?” I thought that she would have swooned and put my arm about her, but she drew back from me and turned again toward the hall. ‘“ Monsieur,’’ she said in a quick and nervous tone which betrayed an agony of doubt, ‘‘ will you search the other rooms with me? I do not know what it is—I cannot tell you—but this house hasa great secret to give up to us, and Jam alone. Oh, I have no right to ask you, no right to claim your kindness ! ”’ | She stood expectant, an exquisite figure in the circle of the light. Mysti- fied as I was, afraid of the dreadful secret of that house of mysteries, I yet could say to myself that here was a woman whom I would follow to the world’s end. | ‘‘Madam,’’ I said, ‘‘ there is no question of right. I shall not soon for- get the privilege.’’ ‘‘ Nor I the service,’’ she answered, but with such meaning in her tone that I stopped an instant in my walk, and our eyes met. Ever afterwards the thought has been with me that Isabella de Gavarnie became my friend in that moment. . ‘“ Shall we begin on this floor?’’ I asked, as we stood once more in the darkness of the hall. | : ‘“ If you please,’’ she said quietly, and with that I struck another match and threw open the door of a room upon my right hand—a library, as'I could see, but empty as the other room. The drawn blinds showed a glimmer of the morning light without ; paper and pens littered upon a bureau spoke of the occupations of the dead day ; a book lay upon a little table, and an empty coffee cup stood beside it. But this wasa room of repose. A child could have seen that there had been no brawl there. | ‘‘ We waste our time here,’’ I said, shutting the door of the library be- hind me. ‘‘ Have you any reason to believe that your friends are still in the house ?’”’ She held up the blood stained handkerchief which she had carried from the dining room with them.’’ ‘‘I know that they are here—one of them,’’ she exclaimed impatiently ; ‘‘ yet if you wish to go, monsieur——’’ ‘“T wish to go where you tell me,’’ I answered. “Then we will look in the drawing room.’’ Eomilcbooks . (E) Dead