The Argosy — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

358 The Missing Rubies. magnificent castles in the air. And yet, splendid as those castles were, every one of them was as cold and empty as the palace of the Snow-Queen in the fairy tale. She had ceased to want Godwin Earle back again; but she had never found anyone to put in his vacant place. Her love had not been worth having; it was a poor chilly thing at its best ; but such as it was he had possessed it all. All her days, Alma knew that she should be always a little bored, a little dreary, just because she had never realised the dream of her youth. Nevertheless, she was in excellent spirits when she went downstairs to meet her father and Mr. Graine. The lawyer stayed to luncheon, and went upstairs afterwards to receive old Redburn’s instructions in his own room. “He is very feeble— very feeble indeed, Miss Lindrick,” said _ Graine, as he stood in the hall, waiting for the dog-cart to be brought round again to the door. ‘‘ Yes,” replied Alma, with a gentle little shake of the head. ‘We are doing all we can, but we can’t hope he will get stronger. It will be a sad summer to us, I am afraid.” ‘Ah, you mustn’t look only on the dark side,” said the lawyer, with a certain meaning in his tone that Alma caught at once. ‘‘ You have a great many bright summers to look forward to. Good day, Miss Lindrick.” The Colonel drew his daughter into the library, and walked up and down with a radiant face. “We have done a good day’s work,” he said. ‘ You have managed things very cleverly, Alma. We shall have nothing to fear now from the results of this ridiculous meeting. By the way, do you mean to come and hear Earle’s vindication ?” “T think I will,” she answered, after 2 moment’s thought. ‘“ It is as well to be as much as possible with Mr. Redburn. And I should really like to hear Godwin’s explanation of this wonderful mystery ! ” CHAPTER XXXI. REVELATIONS. As the week went on, Dorothy Earle grew more and more afraid of announcing the family meeting to Caroline. The Countess Gradizoff was not exactly ill; but she was certainly growing thinner and older. The calm stagnant atmosphere that had preserved her old sisters in more than ordinary freshness, seemed to waste and wear the younger woman. Caroline was perfectly aware that Meadow House did not agree with her, but she was firmly deter- mined to stay in it as long as she possibly could. She was always civil to Dorothy. It was only to the unoffending Jane that she ever allowed her temper to show itself. Caroline was comicbooks.com