The Argosy — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

Lhe Master of Gieylands. 15 Rest was supposed to be worth about twelve hundred a-year. It was the only portion of old Mr. Castlemaine’s property that there could be ‘any doubt or surmise about : what money he had to dispose of, he had divided during his life-time between James and Peter; Basil having " had his share at starting. James Castlemaine was the only gentleman of importance living at Greylands ; he was looked up to as a sort of feudal lord by its inhabitants generally, and swayed them at will. Following the coach-road that led off by the Dolphin for about half a mile, you came to a long green avenue on the right hand, which was the chief approach to Greylands’ Rest. It was an old house, built of grey stone; a straggling, in-and-out, spacious, comfortable mansion, only two stories high. Before the old-fashioned porch entrance, lay a fine green lawn, with seats under its trees, and beds of flowers. Stables, barns, kitchen gardens, and more lawns and flower beds lay around. The rooms inside were many, but rather small; and most of them had to be approached by a narrow passage: as is sometimes the case in ancient houses that are substantially built. From the upper rooms at the szde of the house, could be seen just opposite the Friar’s Keep, its old casements and its broken upper walls. Commodore Teague’s Hutt lying exactly in a line between the two buildings ; and beyond all might be caught glimpses of the glorious sea. It was a cold, bnght day in February, the day following the dinner at the banker’s. Mr. Castlemaine was busy in his study—a business- room, where he kept his farming accounts, and wrote his letters— which was on the upper floor of the house, and looked towards the sea and the Friar’s Keep. In a pretty room below, warm and comfort- able, and called the red parlour from its prevailing colour, its ceiling low, its windows opening to the lawn, but closed to-day, sat the ladies of his family : Mrs. Castlemaine, her daughter Flora, and Ethel Reene. It has been said that James Castlemaine’s second wife was 2 widow, Mrs. Reene. Her first husband had also been a widower, Mr. Reene, who had one daughter, Ethel. Mrs. Reene never took well to this step- child ; she was jealous of Mr. Reene’s affection for her; and when, on Mr. Reene’s death, which occurred shortly after the marriage, it was found that he had left considerably more money to his child than to his new wife, Mrs. Reene’s dislike was complete. <A year or two after her marriage with Mr. Castlemaine, a little girl was born to her—Flora On this child she lavished all her love—but she had none for Ethel. _ Mr. Castlemaine, on his part, gave the greater portion of his affection to his son, the child of his first wife, Harry. A very fine young man now, of some five-and-twenty years, and his father was wrapt up in him. Ethel addressed Mr. and Mrs. Castlemaine as “ papa” and ‘‘ mamma,” but she was in point of fact not related to either. She was five years old when she came to Greylands’ Rest, had grown, up: thereas a child of the house, and was called out of doors, Miss Castlemaine. CONMNICOOOKS.EO