The Argosy — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

18 The Mystery of Allan Grale. soberly, and never noticed the bridling blush with which his words were received. _ But if you should be in London, and you might happen to go up, you know, you will find us at the Belvedere Hotel. Do you know the Belvedere ?” ‘‘Tt is in one of the streets leading out of Piccadilly—opposite the Green Park,” said George, with scarcely a second’s reflection. “A very pleasant house to stay at, I believe, and well conducted. Certainly it is in a capital position.” Mary Anne smiled. ‘A quiet, old-fashioned place, which suits quiet, old-fashioned people,” she said. ‘‘ When you are in London, you must not forget us. Mamma will be so glad to see a familiar face from home; she never is quite happy away from it. And you are such a favourite of hers !” George Vivian smiled his pleasant smile. He had a tender feeling for all middle-aged matrons—except his aunt !—for the sake of the dead mother who would have been one of them had she lived till now. “ That is Mrs. Grale’s kindness,” he said. ‘‘ And I suppose you are looking forward to a very gay time.” ‘We can scarcely be gay,” sighed Mary Anne, sentimentally raising her eyes to his. ‘‘We are going up for mamma’s sake; she feels so very unhappy at Allan’s prolonging his absence in this manner.” George made no answering remark. ‘‘We are going up in the quietest way possible,” continued Mary Anne. ‘We are not taking the carriages; we shall hire in London. Mamma is always nervous in driving our country horses in town. I daresay we shall see nobody we know. Dear Lady Laura Bond says her kinsman will certainly call—Lord Rockford, you know ; and he will no doubt bring young Pelerin—but they are nobody.” She smiled, a smile of girlish mnocence, and spoke carelessly, as if young lords were every-day friends. And she was rewarded by seeing a faint shade of irritation in George’s face. It was the natural irritation of a man, compelled by every injunction of charity and courtesy to be silent, when he would have liked to express some strong disapprobation and warning. It is not only Mary Anne Grale who has mistaken such irritation for jealousy ! In London, Mrs. Grale found in one respect a sort of relief. When there was no letter from Allan among those delivered at the Belvedere Hotel, she could say to herself that perhaps there was one at Moorland House by this time and it would be forwarded in due course. At any moment she liked, she could imagine that Allan had just arrived in Dering and would post after them without delay. She liked to drive by St. George’s Hospital ; some vague hope being ripe within her that she might see her son coming down its steps. She caused enquiries to be made of the students there—or, rather, Mr. Grale did—whether they had lately seen anything of Mr. comniclooo ks (C(O)