The Argosy — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Grace. Ioz She swept away majestically, leaving Charles to make an ignomini- ous exit from the house. But Charles was not in a hurry to do it. He wanted to explain: yet with whom? The Sub-dean was so hot and peppery, especially in the first blush of an affair, that an explana- tion with him generally did more harm than good. Apart from that, what explanation had Charles to give? None. None that would be believed. As he stood thus thinking, the room door was slowly pushed open and Regina appeared. ‘*She’s gone, isn’t she, Charley? Was she very dreadful ?” “* Very,” returned Charley, shutting the door. ‘When Aunt Ann has a grievance, no one can come up to her, and it’s many a year since she had such a grievance as this one,” went on Regina. “Oh, Charley, what fun it was !—how did you pluck up the courage ?—and who was it?” ‘Just tell me what you’ve heard,” said he. ‘That you were at the Haymarket Theatre, in its most conspicu- ous place, beauing a lady with painted cheeks. We got it all out of Janet, Aunt Ann’s maid. You should have heard Aunt Ann in her room last night, old Janet says, and all the names she called you!” ‘*T suppose this has been told to Mary ?” “Trust Aunt Ann for that. Who was the lady, Charley ?” “T wonder, Regina, whether you'll believe me if I tell you some- thing?” “Try me. Perhaps you are going to say it was Gertrude?” ‘Gertrude is at Great Whitton, you know. I don’t know who it was, Regina, for I was not at the theatre at all.” “Not at the theatre!” ‘No. I was in chambers all the night.. “I’ve heard of this already. A friend of Peter Chester’s thought he saw me there—just as you describe. It must have been some fellow who bears a resem- blance to me. Can’t you get Mary to come down to me? Do, Regina. And you will please tell her from me that there’s not 2 word of truth in the tale. I must see her for a minute or two.” ““She will have to smuggle herself down the staircase, then! Aunt Ann is sure to be on the watch,” returned Regina. “T’ll go and see.” Very shortly Mary came stealing in. She was looking pale, but in better health than before she went to Brighton. Charles stood before her in agitation. “ Mary, before I attempt to greet you, let me assure you that the story which they have got up about me is utterly false. You will not believe it?” “Oh, no, no,” she wildly said, as she burst into tears and put her head upon his breast. He was about to clasp her in his arms when the door was flung back and Dr. Dynevor walked in. “To your room, young lady,” he cried out imperiously to the comicbooks.com