The Argosy — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

50 Christobel. ‘‘ fe has a great American millionaire staying with him. Did you not say so, Geraldine ?” ‘* So Lady Meredyth told me. When I invited Ned and any one of his guests to dinner to-morrow, she said she thought Mr. Vandyken would be the one to accompany him.” ‘‘ Vandyken ? ” repeated Verschoyle, quickly. “Yes. Do you know him ?” ‘‘T have heard the name,” answered Godfrey, and strolled to fhe window. ‘“ Here comes a carriage,” he presently said. ‘* These must be your guests, Miss Hillyer. Yes—I see Miss Millicent’s parrot.” There was a general stir of expectation: and the yelping of a lap- dog and the screaming of a parrot being presently audible, Geraldine rose and went towards the door. Before she reached it, it was thrown open, and the two ladies entered. Miss Millicent, although quite an old woman, was singularly hand- some and stately, but forbidding-looking. She took her niece’s gentle greeting coldly ; barely offering her cheek to be kissed. Then Geral- dine turned towards Miss Fane. Extending her hand with a timid grace, and raising her eyes to the stranger's face, she underwent a revulsion of feeling which took her completely by surprise. Incipient jealousy died within her, quenched by a sudden rush of sympathy, mixed in some inexplicable way with pity. Yet Christobel was even more beautiful than she had imagined ; beautiful enough to be in very deed a dangerous rival. But there was something so appealingly mournful in her glance; a suggestion of so much sorrow in her proud and lovely face, that Geral- dine, forgetting herself entirely for a moment, stood transfixed with admiration and interest. Doubtless, it was her own delicacy of per- ception that made her feeb all this, for Miss Fane’s manner belied her glance, and so far from seeming to claim sympathy, might rather be said to repel it. She was polite, and no more, and responded to each greeting in succession with a well-bred calmness that bordered on hauteur. All this time Godfrey was still standing with his back to the window, and had made no step inadvance. At last Geraldine, looking towards him in some surprise, said shyly : ‘‘ You know my aunt, Captain Verschoyle. Miss Fane, will te allow me to introduce ” She stopped short, struck by the sudden change in Christobel’s manner. The girl, turning visibly pale, drew back and looked at Godfrey with dilating eyes. It was but for an instant, yet in that space Geraldine had time to feel a number of conflicting emotions. Jealousy first of all, sharp, brief, agonising,—surprise, a little re- sentment, but above all, finally overcoming the rest, a passionate, wondering interest. For instinctively she felt that Christobel’s stricken look was the sign of some anguish too deep for words. Geraldine turned quickly to see how Godfrey was looking ; and COMIC OOlKS.CO