The Argosy — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

252, CO, A Secret of the Sea. which, it had supplied them with a subject for conversation that Eleanor seemed never to grow tired of, and one in which our artful Gerald feigned a far deeper interest than he really felt. Days and weeks had come and gone, and he was still as undecided as ever what steps to take in the matter of the sealed packet. Kelvin still maintained his mysterious silence. Gerald had said to himself that, after having been at Stammars for a little while, after having seen and made the acquaintance of Eleanor, should Kelvin not then have spoken, he would write to him in his real name, and demand some explanation of his unaccountable silence. This would at once force matters to a climax, and he, Gerald, would then be able, in the natural course of events, to assume his proper name and position. But day by day was flitting away, and he still neglected to take this very obvious course. As matters had turned out, he shrank from doing so. He loved this girl with all the strength of his ardent temperament. Should he declare himself, such a declaration would take from her all that she had hitherto deemed her own, all that was most dear to her in life: name, wealth, position—everything. Should his be the hand to know- ingly strike her sucha blow? The more he thought of it, the more hateful such a proceeding seemed tohim. Hecould never hope to see Love’s sweet light dawn in those beautiful eyes were he to smite her thus. And then how much more precious to him would it be to win her love for his own sake, to win it as a poor man, to fight for her against the host of other suitors who would surely come when they should discover what a golden prize was there for the winning ; to say no word to her of this thing, but to let her rest in blissful ignorance till their wedding day was come. After that, she might, perchance, learn to love him all the more for his long silence. Thus it was that Gerald argued with himself, and thus it was that to the world at large he was still known as John Pomeroy, secretary to Sir Thomas Dudgeon, at an honorarium of one hundred and fifty guineas per annum. As Gerald was strolling quietly through Kensington Gardens one day between luncheon and dinner, he was met by Eleanor, who was coming from an opposite direction. They shook hands, and Gerald turned and walked back with her. “What are you meditating this morning?” asked Eleanor. “A sonnet, or another speech on the Sugar Duties?” She had seen and heard enough to know from what fount it was that Sir Thomas denved the stream of his Parliamentary eloquence. ‘‘ Neither anything so sentimental on the one hand, nor anything so prosaic on the other,” answered Gerald. ‘I was better employed in listening to the birds, and in marking how the brown buds were here and there beginning to open themselves to the sun.” ‘‘You are easily satisfied. I should have thought that the Ride would have more attractions for you.” ecomniclooolkks _ (CO)