The Argosy — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

262 Edina. favoured her. She saw him make for the quiet street upon first leaving home, skim down it with long strides, and go straight in at the door. Her heart beat as though it would burst its bounds; her pulses coursed on with fever-heat. Nothing in the world can be so good for the doctors as indulged jealousy, for it must inevitably tend to bring on heart disease. o “TI wonder how long he will stay?” thought Daisy in her raging anger. “Half an hour, maybe. Of course he does not hurry himself when he goes ¢here.” Sauntering onwards with slow steps, some idea in her head of wait- ing to see how long he did stay, and believing herself to be perfectly safe for some long minutes to come, went Daisy. She longed to cross over the street and so get a sight of the upstairs window. But she did not dare: he might chance to look from it and see her. She knew all about the position of the Bells’ rooms, having, in a careless, off- handed manner, questioned Sam, who took out Mrs. Bell’s medicine. Abreast of the closed door, her face turned towards it, was Daisy, when—she found herself confronted with her husband. He had come quickly forth, without warning, not having stayed two minutes. “Why, Daisy! Out marketing, my dear?” The question was put laughingly. Daisy never did market: she was not much of a housekeeper yet, and the shops in Lambeth did not tempt her to begin. Eve did all that. Had she been committing a crime, she could not have felt more taken to in the unexpected sur- prise, or more awkward at finding an excuse. “‘]—had the headache,” she stammered, ‘“and—came out for a little walk.” * But it is too! cold for you, Daisy. The wind is in the north-east. I have never felt it keener.” “Tt won’t hurt me,” gasped Daisy, believing his appearance ot soli- citude for her was all put on. She had believed that for some time now. The kinder Frank showed himself, the more she despised him. “You have been in there to see a patient?” questioned Daisy, hardly knowing and certainly not caring what she did say. “Yes,” replied Frank. ‘But she is better this morning; so I am off to others who want me worse than she does.” “Ts it that Mrs. Bell from Trennach? I saw a bottle of medicine directed to her here one day. Sam was putting it into his basket.” - “Tt is Mrs. Bell. She is worse than she used to be, for the disorder has made progress, And I fear she will get worse day by day now until the last.” ‘What a hypocrite he is!” thought Daisy. ‘I daresay there is as much the matter with her as there is with me. Of course he needs some plea of excuse—to be going there for ever to that wretched girl.” < comliichooks.com