The Argosy — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

The Master of Greylands. 83 “Commodore Teague wants to know, sir, whether he may move them two or three barrow-loads of wood to the Hutt to-day. He'd like to, he says, if it’s convenient.” ‘¢Yes, he can take them. Is he here, Miles?” ‘Ves, sir; he’s waiting in the yard. ” ‘¢ T’ll come and speak to him.” And the Master of Greylands, taking the two letters from the side- table, left the room to descend, shutting the door behind him. We must turn for a few minutes to the Dolphin Inn, and to the previous evening. Nothing could well have exceeded John Bent’s consternation when his guest, the unknown stranger, had revealed his name. Anthony Castlemaine! Not quite at first, but after a short interval, the landlord saw how, it must be—that he was the son of the late Basil Castlemaine. And he was not at all best pleased to hear it in the moment’s annoyance. ‘You ought to have told me before, sir,” he stammered in his con- fusion. ‘‘ It was unkind to take me at a disadvantage. Here have I been using liberties with the family’s name, supposing I was talking to an utter stranger!” | The frank expression of the young man’s face, the pleasant look in his fine brown eyes, tended to reassure the landlord, even better than words. } “You have not said a syllable of my family that I could take excep- tion to,” he freely said. “‘ You knew my father: will you shake hands with me, John Bent, as his son ?” ‘You are too good, sir; and I meant no harm by my gossip,” said the landlord, meeting the offered hand. ‘“ You must be the son of Mr. Basil. It’s a great many years since he went away, and I was but a lad, but I remember him. Your face is nearly the same as his was, sir. The likeness was puzzling me beyond everything. I hope Mr, Basil is well, sir.” ‘‘No,” said the young man, ‘‘he is dead. And I have come over here as his son and heir, to claim Greylands’ Rest.” It was even so. The facts were as young Anthony Castlemaine stated. Anda short summary of past events must be given here. When Basil Castlemaine went abroad so many years ago, in his hot- blooded youth, he spent some of the first years roaming about in what he called seeing the world. Later, circumstances brought him ac- quainted with a young English lady, whose friends lived in France in the province of Dauphiné: which, as the world knows, is close on the borders of Italy. They had settled near a place called Gap, and were in commerce there, owning some extensive silk-mills. Basil Castle- maine, tired, probably, of his wandering life and of being a beau garcon married this young lady, put all the money he_ had left (itcwas a very tolerably good sum) into the silk-mills, and became a partner. COMIC OOOKS. EO —_) A