The Argosy — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Gralc. 15 Mrs. Grale hesitated. ‘Thinking what?” asked her husband. “Whether any harm happened to him? Any accident? Whether he could have tumbled into the Pool and couldn’t get out again P ” She had lowered her voice toa whisper, and before it ceased it was so hushed that Mr. Grale could hardly catch the words. He sat looking into the fire, not speaking. Mrs. Grale sat looking at him. “No, no, Mary; no,” he said, sharply. “It is not likely. He would not be at the Black Pool by himself, and whoever was with . him would pretty soon pull him out, or give the alarm.” “That would be Edgar Vivian,” she said, quietly. “Edgar Vivian says they did not meet there. Besides, he—he has heard in some way from Alny since he went away.” “Then you have been enquiring about it, Richard! You have been uneasy yourself.” “ Uneasy ! certamly not,” said Mr. Grale, wishing to disperse her own uneasiness. ‘‘ After reading that note, it was natural I should enquire whether they met or not. Calm your mind, Polly; there’s nothing to fear. It’s theze rubbishing dreams that have upset you ; nothing else.” He went off to the mills as he spoke, walking with quite a débon- naire manner, for he knew she was watching him from the window. But there’s no doubt that his mind was rather disagreeably exercised. CHAPTER XXVI. SHOPPING. Time crept on at Dering as elsewhere, and people began to talk about Christmas. In the two chief houses at Dering the season could bring little festivity. General Vivian had not had any relapse; he was recover- ing slowly ; but the medical men did not appear to be easy about him, and warned his nephews that his life might end suddenly, with scarcely an hour’s warning. George Vivian’s face grew solemn as he heard this. Maria, too, was better, but her recovery was of that sort which is sometimes less satisfactory than continued illness. It was not recovery of her old self. It was but a struggle back from the depths to a very low level of existence. At the time when she was picturing the worst, as to the fate of Allan Grale, her brother George, paying a visit to her in her room, had casually mentioned, thinking it would be pleasant to her to hear it, and believing it then himself, that Allan was in Scotland and had written to his mother; and this in a degree revived Maria. She no longer remained in her room or kept her shutters closed, or GOMMGIO@ S or