The Argosy — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

264 Lhe Master of Greylands. “ Qui,” replied the child, who appeared to understand English per- fectly, but would not speakit. ‘Marie sommeil,” she added in her childish patois. ‘ Marie soif. Maman, donne Marie 2 boire.” ‘¢ Will you take her, ma’am, for a few moments?” said Mrs. Bent, placing her in the mother’s arms. “I will see after your room and make it ready.” The child, however, feverish and weary, soon began to cry. Her mother hushed her; and presently, not waiting for the reappearance of the landlady, she carried her up stairs. Which was the chamber, she wondered, on reaching the landing = but the half-open door of one, and some stir within, guided her thoughts to the nght. Mrs. Bent was bustling about it, and the landlord, who appeared to have been taking up the trunks, stood just inside the door. Some kind of dispute seemed to be going on, for Mrs. Bent’s tones were shnll. The lady halted, not liking to intrude, and sat down on a short bench against the wall; the child, dozing again, was _ heavy for her. ‘“‘ As if there was not another room in the house, but you must make ready this one!” John was saying in a voice of vexed remonstrance. “‘T told you, Dorothy, I’d never have this chamber used again until we had not space left elsewhere. What areyou going to do with the things ? ” ‘¢ Now don’t you fret yourself to fiddle-strings,” retorted Mrs. Bent. ‘‘T am putting all the things into this linen-basket ; his clothes and his little desk and all, even the square of scented soap he used, for he brought it with him in his portmanteau. They shall go into the small chest in our bed-room, and be locked up. And you may puta seal upon the top of it for safety.” ‘‘But I did not wish to have the things disturbed at all,” urged John. “The lady might have had another room.” ‘‘The tap-room is your concern, the care of the chamlers is mine, and I choose her to have this one,” said independent Mrs. Bent. ‘‘As to keeping the best chamber out of use, just because these things have remained in it unclaimed, is about as daft a notion as ever I heard of. If you don’t take care, John, you'll go crazy over Anthony Castlemaine.” The mother outside, waiting, and hushing her child to her, had not been paying much attention: but at the last words she started, and gazed at the door. Her lips parted; her face turned white. ‘< Peace, wife,” said the landlord. ‘* What I say is nght.” “Yes, crazy,” persisted Mrs. Bent, who rarely dropped an argument of her own accord, ‘‘ Look at what happened with Miss Ethel Reene _ to-day? I’m sure you are not in your senses on the subject, John Bent, or you'd never be so imprudent. You may believe Mr. Anthony was murdered by his uncle, but it does not do to proclaim ‘it as if you were . > B the town crier. comicbooks.cO —_)