The Argosy — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

The Master of Greylands. 177 the answer. ‘I saw my master go up to his chamber some timeago; but I don’t think he can be in it all this while.” ‘* How long ago ?” “‘ Just before you came home, ma’am.” “‘ Oh, of course, your master cannot be there still,” interposed Mrs. Webb, much interested in the colloquy, for she wanted her dinner frightfully. ‘*‘ He must have come down and gone out, Stephen.” “Very lkely, ma’am.” ‘*T am sure that Mr. Castlemaine has not come downstairs since we came in,” observed Mr. Blake-Gordon. “If he had, I must have seen him: I have been here all the time.” Mary Ursula laughed. ‘I will tell you what it is,” she said: “ papa has dropped asleep on the sofa in his room. ‘Twice lately he has done it when he has had a very tiring day.” She ran lightly up the stairs as she spoke, and knocked at the cham- ber door. The lamp that hung in the corndor threw its light upon the oaken panels, and upon her gleaming blue dress. There was no response, and Mary gently turned the handle, intending to open the door about an inch, and call again. That her father was lying on the sofa in a sound sleep, she felt as sure of as though she had seen him. But the door would not open. “Papa! Papa!” No, he did not awake, though she called very loudly. Hardly know- ing what to do, she ran downstairs again. ‘* Papa must be in a very sound sleep, for I cannot make him hear, and the door is fastened inside,” she said, chiefly addressing Stephen, who was nearest to her. “I daresay he has had a fatiguing day.” “Ves, ma’am, it Aave been fatiguing ; leastways the latter part of it,” replied the man with an emphasis that they failed to catch. “Some rude people have been knocking here, and making a fine uproar.” ‘Rude people knocking here!” exclaimed Mrs. Webb, taking him up sharply. ‘ What do you mean? What did they want ?” “I don’t know what they wanted, ma'am: something they couldn’t get, I suppose,” returned the man, who had no suspicion of the real state of the case, for he believed the house to be simplya mine of wealth that could have no limit, just as children believe in the won drous riches told of in a fairy-tale. ‘I knowI should like to have had the driving of ’em off! Master did well not to see ’em.” “ But—did papa not see them?” questioned Mary Ursula, surprised into asking the question by this extraordinary story. “No: and that’s what I fancy they made the noise over, ma’am. My master was not well, either, this afternoon, for Mr. Hill came running out for hot brandy-and-water for him.” What more would have been said, what doubt created, was stopped Vol. Xv. COMIC OCIOKS. CO in —_)