The Argosy — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

114 ° Margaret Rymer. accept this chaplaincy at the Bahamas, and why she mtst accompany him thither. In the midst of 1t Margaret burst into tears. ‘Oh, Isaac, why prolong the pain?” she said. ‘You know I cannot go: to refuse 1s as painful to me as to you. Don’t you see that I have no alternative but to remain here ? ” ‘No: I don’t see it,” replied Mr. Sale, stoutly. ‘I think your mother could do without you. She is an active, bustling woman, hardly to be called middle-aged yet. It is not right that you should sacrifice yourself and your prospects in life. At least it seems to me that it is not.” Margaret’s hand was covering her face; the silent tears dropped through her fingers. ‘It is a week and a day since I told you that the promotion was at length offered me,” resumed Mr. Sale, “and we seem to be not any nearer a decision than we were then. I have kept it to myself and said nothing about it abroad, waiting for you, Margaret; and the Rector—to whom I at length spoke yesterday—is angry with me, and says I ought to have told him at once. In three days from this—on Thursday next—I must give an answer: accept the post, or throw it up.” Margaret took her hand from her face. Mr. Sale could see how great was the conflict at work within her. “ There is nothing to wait for, Isaac. I wish there was. You must go by yourself, and leave me.” “‘T have told you that I will not. If you stay here, I stay.” “Qh, pray don’t do that! It would be so intense a disappointment !”” “The greatest disappointment I have ever had in life,” he answered. “You must go with me.” “T wish I could! I wish I could! But it is impossible. My duty lies here, Isaac. I wish you could see that it does as strongly as I see It. My poor father always enjoined me to do my duty, no matter at what personal cost.” “It is your brother's duty to be here, Margaret ; not yours. Where is he?” | ‘In London, I believe,” she replied ; and a faint colour flew into her pale face. She put up her handkerchief to hide it. It had come to Margaret’s knowledge that during the past few months her mother had occasionally written to Benjamin. But Mrs. Rymer would not allow Margaret to write, or give her his address. It chanced, however, that about a fortnight ago Mrs. Rymer incautiously left a letter on the table, addressed to him, and her daughter saw it. When, some three or four days subsequently, Mr. Sale received the offer of the chaplaincy, and laid it and himself before Margaret, urging her to accompany him, saying that he could not go without her, she took courage to write to Benjamin. She did not ask him to return ECOMRRIC OOO Ss (GO)