The Argosy — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

A Secret of the Sea. 165 refuse to coil themselves round his neck. It is true that he had told her of his wounds, but he had expressed no desire to be healed of them ; he had given Olive no encouragement whatever to offer herself as his nurse. He had expressed himself very bitterly with regard to the per- son who had so wounded him, and Olive had done her best to intensify that bitterness : but that was all. She felt that she was not one step - nearer the capture of her cousin’s heart than on that day, now several weeks ago, when he had first told her of his love for Miss Lloyd. But was that love really dead? Was it not, unknown to himself, still smouldering in his heart, ready at the slightest provocation to burst into a flame tenfold more ardent than before? She felt instinctively that no other woman would ever become the wife of Matthew Kelvin so long as Eleanor Lloyd remained unmarried, and this feeling it was that was at the bottom of the plot for inducing Gerald Warburton to make love to her. That dangerous rival once out of the way for ever, Olive’s ambitious scheme would not look so entirely hopeless as it did just now. Chagrined as Olive was at having to quit her cousin’s roof with the hidden purpose of her life no nearer its accomplishment than before, she yet acknowledged to herself that she would much rather go to Stammars than anywhere else. She had all a woman’s curiosity to see that other woman about whom she had been told so much, and who had been i her thoughts, day and night, ever since she had heard the first mention of her name. At Stammars, too, she would have an opportunity of seeing Matthew now and then when he came there to visit Sir Thomas on business. Then, she would be on the spot, ready, with deft fingers, to tie up any threads of her plot which might be accidentally broken, or to hasten Gerald’s footsteps along the path she - wanted him to tread, should it prove needful‘ to do so. In any case, she need not stay there longer than was necessary for the carrying out of her own views. At any time she could pick a quarrel with Lady Dudgeon, throw up her situation, and go back for a while to the shelter of her aunt’s roof. - Five days after her cousin’s return, Olive Deane found herself duly installed in her new home, and two days after that Mr. John Pomeroy made his appearance at Stammars. Mr. Kelvin, despite his irritation and chagrin at what had taken place during his absence, did not fail to carry out the promise he had matie to his mother. ‘The situation was still open, and Sir Thomas at once promised it to Pomeroy. Then Kelvin wrote to the latter, telling him when he would be expected at Stammars, but not in any way alluding to the loan of fifty pounds. Asa matter of course, on pass- ing through Pembridge, Gerald called to see Kelvin, but the lawyer was not at home—purposely. He had done his duty by his mother, but he had no wish to see the man who had caused him so much ECOMRRIC OOO Ss (GO)