The Argosy — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

86 | Anne Hereford. THE ARGOS an. 1, 1368. whom I had taken so unaccountable a dislike and dread, it was my favourable moment for escape ; I seemed to fear him more than poor Philip King on the table. But nervous terror held possession of me still, and in moving I cried out in spite of myself. The clergyman looked round. ‘“‘T declare it is little Miss Hereford!” he said, very kindly, as he took my hand. ‘“ What brought you there, my dear?” I sobbed out the explanation. That I had been pushed into the corner by the table, and was afraid to move. “Don’t tell, sir, please! Mr. Barley might be angry with me. Don’t tell him I was there.” “He would not be angry at a little girl’s very natural fears,” answered Mr. Martin, stroking my hair. “ But I will not tell him. Will you stay by your aunt, Mrs. Edwin Barley ?” “ Yes, please, sir.” But where is Mrs. Barley?” he resumed, as he led me towards the stairs. ‘‘T was wondering, too,” interposed Charlotte Delves, who stood at the dining-room door. ‘‘A minute ago she was still sitting there. I turned into the room for a moment, and when I came back she was gone.” | “¢ She must have gone up-stairs, Miss Delves.” “IT suppose she has, Mr. Martin,” was Miss Delves’s reply. But a thought came over me that it must have been Mrs. Edwin Barley who had glided out at the hall-door. And, in point of fact, it was. She was sought for up stairs, and could not be found; she was sought for down stairs, all in vain. Whither had she gone? On what errand was she bent? One of those raw, damp fogs, prevalent in the autumn months, had come on, making the air wet, as if with rain, and she had no out-door things on, no bonnet, and her black silk dinner-dress had a low body and short sleeves. Was she with her husband, searching the wood for George Heneage ? The dark oak-door that shut out the passage leading to the domains of the servants was pushed open, and Jemima’s head appeared at it. I ran and laid hold of her. 6 Oh, Jemima, let me stay by you !” ‘S Ffark !” she whispered, putting her arm round me. ‘‘ There are horses galloping up to the house.” Two police-officers, mounted. They gave their horses in charge to one of the men-servants, and came into the hall, the scabbards of their swords clanking against the steps. “] cont like the look of them,” whispered Jemima. “Let us go away.” She took me to the kitchen. Sarah and the cook were in it; the latter a tall, stout woman, with a rosy colour and black eyes. Her chief concern seemed to be for the dinner. comicaocks (GO)