The Argosy — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

164 The Missing Rubies. She touched the bell for tea, and began to draw Beatrice into con- versation. They all hoped that Miss Ward would make a long stay ; there were a great many pretty views to be seen yet. The archery meeting would be coming off soon. Was she fond of archery ? So the old lady babbled pleasantly on, and Beatrice gave fairly correct answers to her various questions, although her mind was stray- ing far away from the talk. At last, when there was a little lull, she became distinctly conscious that Aunt Dorothy was saying something very important to Miss Lindrick. ‘I hope, Alma, that you will fix an evening to dine with us. We shall be so glad to see Miss Ward. I suppose Mr. Redburn is too great an invalid to come out, and perhaps the Colonel cannot leave him. But you two will come, I trust?” “Indeed we should be delighted to come,” Alma responded, “ if Mr. Redburn would only be reasonable. But he is very exacting, and does not like Beatrice to go out of his sight.” “You must not yield to old people too much,” said Dorothy, with a little air of wisdom. ‘‘They are often very inconsiderate to the young. We really must have you both here one evening soon. There are many little things that will amuse Miss Ward, I think. The old engravings and all the albums, you know.” “Ah, yes; the dear old albums,” said Alma, with a faint sigh. “Tt seems only yesterday since Godwin and I were turning over their leaves together! How we used to amuse ourselves with the quaint water-colour drawings, all of the most sentimental description! There was a lady in pink bending over a balcony to kiss her hand to a cavalier in green. Poor Godwin used to laugh at the pair.” An awful pause followed these strangely indiscreet words. Alma was perfectly aware that Godwin’s name was never mentioned nowa- days in the presence of the Countess Gradizoff. But all her usual tact seemed suddenly to have fled. “You still have a portfolio of his drawings, have you not?” Miss Lindrick continued, addressing the aunts generally. ‘There was that sketch done in the garden, with Olga standing between the clipped yews, I think he gave it to the Countess. It was very pretty indeed.” Caroline gave a slight shudder, and began to trifle nervously with a paper-knife. “I don’t know where his drawings are,” she said, tightening her lips. ‘‘ Jane has put them somewhere, I suppose. The sight of them would be too painful to me.” “ Ah, yes; I was forgetting,” rejoined Alma, with a sigh. The entrance of the servant broke an awkward silence. Beatrice’s first draught of tea nearly choked her. She was burning to defend her lover—burning to tell them all that they had disgraced them- selves by harbouring cruel suspicions against him. As to the Countess Gradizoff, the girl could hardly conceal her aversion to that hard, comicbooks.com