The Argosy — page 382: what you’re looking at

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

364 In @ Dangerous Stratt. “Very well; I shall wait for you,” she said; and dragging a high leather-seated stool to his side, she perched herself upon it, leaning her elbows on the “ bench.” ‘What is it you are doing? who is it for?” she asked, watching the tiny chips of metal as they curled up beneath his tool. * An illustrated circular for Mapleton and Co, I am now, as you perceive, putting the finishing-touches to an extremely realistic tea- kettle.” Janet drew down her lips. “An ironmonger’s circular! I did not know you accepted common work like that.” “ Accept it? aye, and am glad to get it. The engraving trade is not what it was, Jeanie, before printing and lithography ruined it. Small craftsmen like myself can’t afford to be proud.” She ruffled her pretty hair discontentedly. ' “Whatever made you choose to be an engraver ?” ‘‘ Well, there wasn’t much choice in the matter. I drifted into it. You see I had never been trained for any trade or profession, for though, I got some notions of art from my father, he gave me no regular teaching. But I had picked up a knowledge of engraving from an old workman who lodged in our house ; and when my poor father died, leaving the dear mother dependent on me, it seemed the only thing I could turn to with a prospect of success. That is how I came to be ina ‘square hole’ instead of a round one,” he con- cluded, with a smiling glance at her. “Tt isashame!” Janet exclaimed, her sympathy all the keener for his patience. ‘You were not meant for this drudgery; you are a born artist, Gilbert. Look at your clever etchings; and your illustrations for the ‘ Warwickshire Messenger.’ ” “With their queer perspective, and still queerer anatomy,” he put in laughing. ‘No, no, Jeanie ; you cannot blind me to the fact that years of study and practice are required before I can call myself an artist ; so I must stick to the graver at present, and make the best of it. And now for tea and crumpets,” he added, as he laid down his tool. ‘IT shall work no more this evening, for Monsieur de Fontenay is coming.” , “ Again! This is the fourth time you have invited him within the last ten days, Gilbert.” “He invited himself this time, Jeanie. He said he had a proposal to make to me with reference to some drawings. I couldn’t very well put him off, even had I wished to-——” “Which of course you did not,” she interrupted resentfully. ‘I think that Frenchman has bewitched you, Gilbert. Itis barely three months since you made his acquaintance through engraving a ring for him, and now you and he are hand-in-glove together. You are not usually so ready to make friends of strangers.” “Strangers are not usually so ready to prove themselves friends to me,” Gilbert answered, turning away to gather his tools fogester. comicbooks.com