The Argosy — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

28 Monsteur Silvain’s Secret. “Yes; ‘Monsieur Silvain’ to you,” her old friend said when they were alone; ‘but your father knew me as Silvain Mathieu.” She started and coloured, then turned pale. “What ! it was you whom my father wronged ?” she faltered. ‘Dear child, you have repaired the wrong, and left me your debtor,” he gently replied. “If I had known at the time what it cost you, I would never have accepted your generous reparation. Sit down ; I have a story to tell you, Renée—not a long one, fortunately,” he added, with a serious smile, ‘“‘or I might not have time to finish it. You know what was formerly my profession? I was a dancing- master; the most fashionable in Paris during the Second Empire, but having met with an accident, which crippled me for life, I was com- pelled to retire in the height of my success. However, I had saved enough to live upon, and should have passed the rest of my days in comfort, if—if I had not been so foolish as to risk my small capital in the hope of increasing it. I lost it, as you know, and, after some years of struggle and privation, which I do not care to recall, all other resources having failed me, I began life afresh, on a lower level, as— a street musician, who has since been known to fame by the name of Pere Joyeux. Don’t look distressed ; I assure you that the life suited me ; I earned amply sufficient for my wants, and had grown perfectly reconciled to my lot, when one day, three years ago, I chanced to see your advertisement, and found myself once more independent.” * And then?” she asked, as he paused. He glanced at her with humorous gravity. “Then, you naturally suppose, that I retired into private life. So I did; but, after six months of ease, I found that I was dying of ennui. I felt as if I had lost my identity. Who was Silvain Mathieu? A lonely old man whom nobody knew and nobody needed, whereas Pere Joyeux had hundreds of friends whom he could serve in his humble way. Yes, have I not seen hard faces soften and sad ones brighten as I played? Have not my old tunes touched a chord of hope or memory in many a heart ?” ‘They have in mine, more than once,” she put in softly. ‘* And then the Bohemian freedom of the life, its constant interest and variety, gave it a fascination which, in spite of myself, drew me back to it. So I returned to my old post. But for the last three years I have given in charity what I received from charity, and out of ‘business hours’ I became—Monsieur Silvain ; the transformation being effected at quiet lodgings near the river, the landlord of which was in my confidence. Without my beard and wooden leg (which was replaced by an artificial one), I was unrecognisable ; even you, who knew me in both characters, never guessed that Madame Evrard’s -friend was the old cripple to whom for a year past you have been a ministering angel. How eagerly I used to watch for your coming ! You were the sunshine of my life, long before I knew who you were and what I owed to you.” comichiooks.co