The Argosy — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY. JANUARY 1, 1873. THE .MASTER OF GREYLANDS. By THE AUTHOR OF ** East LYNNg.”? CHAPTER I. IN THE BANK PARLOUR. TILBOROUGH. An old-fashioned market-town of some import- ance in its district, but not the chief town of the county. It was market-day: Thursday : and the streets wore an air of bustle, farmers and other country people passing and re-passing from the corn-market to their respective inns. In the heart of the town stood the bank: opposite was the new market house, where the farmers’ wives and daughters sat with their butter and poultry. For in those days—many a year ago now— people had not leaped up above their sphere; and the farmers’ wives would have thought they were going to ruin outright had any- body but themselves kept market. A very Jarge and handsome house, this bank, the residence of its owner and master, Mr. Peter Castlemaine. No name stood higher than Mr. Peter Castlemaine’s. Begin- ning in a small way in early life, he had risen by degrees to what he now was the chief banker in the county. People left the county-town to bank with him; in all his undertakings he was supposed to be flourishing; in realized funds a small millionaire. The afternoon drew to aclose; the business of the day was over ; the clerks were putting the last touches to their accounts previous to departing, and Mr. Peter Castlemaine sat alone in his private room. It was comfortably and even luxuriously furnished for a room devoted solely to business purposes. The rich crimson carpet threw a warmth of colouring on the room ; the fire flashed and sparkled in the grate ; for the month was February and the weather yet wintry. Before his desk, in a massive and luxuriant arm chair, sat Mr. Peter Castlemaine: a tall, slender, and handsome man, fifty-one years of age this same month ; his hair dark, his eyes brown, “his complexion yet YOL, XV. comichocdks.ce@