The Argosy — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Grace. 99 had affected her master’s memory. “Sir,” she said, ‘perhaps you might call things to mind if you tried. When you had gone away after dinner, I went out to do an errand or two, and had just shut the door, when you ran up the stairs, and took my key from me to let yourself in. I suppose you had forgotten to take out yours. I was away maybe half an hour, and when I came back what should I see but my latch-key outside the door—and I know my key from yours, sir, by the dent in it. I knew you had left it there for me to get in with: still I didn’t think it was safe. London is such a place for thievery—and the Temple’s no more secure than any other n “You have done a pretty thing,” was the comment of Mr. Baum- garten. “It was not to me you gave the key.” The woman felt hurt. “I’m near-sighted, sir, I know that, and my eyes are sometimes at fault; but they are not so bad that I could mistake anybody else for my own master.” A silence ensued. Mrs. Tuff chiefly passed it in staring. Charles signed to her to retire. He sat on, asking himself where and what the mystery could be. Personated at the jeweller’s, his handwriting appearing upon a bill, accused of showing himself off at the Haymarket Theatre in ques- tionable companionship, and now personated in his chambers to the deception of his own servant | Had Cyras Baumgarten been in Europe, Charles might have sup- posed, remembering there used to be much likeness between them, and might be still, that he was the actor in all this; but, as Charles knew, Cyras was where he had been for some years past—in New Zealand. An uncomfortable feeling clung to Charles all day : go where he would, he carried it about with him, even to the Courts and into the presence of the judges. In the evening, he went to call at Eaton Place: he had not done so since Mary went to Brighton. Dr. Dynevor was still in town; and, much to Charles’s surprise, he found that Mary was also: she had re- turned that day. Upon being admitted, he saw the maid, who had, as he knew, attended Mary, crossing the hall. “You are back again, Sarah!” he exclaimed. Ves, sir, we came up to-day,” the girl answered, and proceeded to explain the reason. The family they were staying with at Brighton received news of the dangerous illness of a relative at Cheltenham, and had to speed thither at once. Instead of being shown to the drawing-room as usual, Charles was marshalled to a small one off the dining-room, and Miss Dynevor came to him. By the fierce look of her flaxen wig, her raised eye- brows, and her haughty tone, Charles saw that something was amiss. “Then it # Mr. Charles Baumgarten!” she exclaimed, as if his appearance solved a doubt. ‘ When the butler announced your name, comicbooks.com