The Argosy — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

182 A Secret of the Sea. faith the most intense,” he would sometimes say, “that the world will know me for what I am before I die. Why else was my reason given back to me? why else was a way of escape shown me? why else am I here except to prove this thing? And, oh, Gerald! why has an over- ruling Intelligence sent to me you, the son of my lost darling’s oldest fnend—you, with your kind heart, and clear brain, and knowledge of the world and its ways—except to assist me, to give to my forlorn weakness that strong helping hand, without which I can do nothing! Other men might ask: Why should I help this escaped lunatic? Why should I trouble myself about this criminal madman, on whose head the guilt of blood still rests? But not you—not you! You and I, Gerald, have been mysteriously drawn together by the bonds of an invisible sympathy. We have been brought together not that we may be to each other as mere touch-and-go acquaintances, but for the working out of some hidden purpose. For good or for evil, the issues of your life and mine are inextricably mingled ; like streams from two . Gistant sources, they have met, never again to be disunited, till they fall into the far-off Hidden Sea!” Mr. Frodsham had been too well known in the legal profession for Gerald to experience much difficulty in obtaining answers to his inquiries respecting that gentleman. It did not take him long to ascertain that Mr. Frodsham had been dead for several years. But from the same source whence he derived this positive information, came another piece of information not quite so positive, which being of no apparent use, was thrown in gratis, as it were, to the effect that although Mr. Frodsham was dead, Mr. Peter Byrne, who had been his confidential clerk for many years, was supposed to be still alive. To Gerald this extra piece of information seemed of no use whatever. His idea in wanting to see Mr. Frodsham had been, not to obtain facts —those he had already—but to seek his advice, his counsel, perchance his assistance. But of what use or assistance Mr. Frodsham’s con- fidential clerk could be to him, he could not for the life of him see. Still, as it behoved him to neglect no source of information however trivial or apparently unimportant it might seem to be, and as he was rather nonplussed for the time being as to what was the next step which it behoved him to take, he decided to have this Mr. Byme hunted up, if it were possible to find him, and then see him in person, on the very faint chance that something might be elicited from him which would tend to show what line of action it would be advisable to adopt next. Five days later Gerald received Mr. Byrne’s address by post. It was No. 2, Amelia Terrace, Claridge Road, Battersea, which place Gerald next day made it his business to go in search of. Amelia Terrace was in a desolate locality enough, being shut out from the world by wide intervening stretches of market garden, very CORNICE OOS (GO)