The Argosy — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

A Secret of the Sea. 323 across the room: all simple matters, my dear sir, but, in the aggregate, decidedly effective.” Mr. Byrne omitted to mention that, as a conscientious artist bent on looking the character he meant to play, he had for the time being abandoned the hare’s foot and rouge-pot. Although his use of those articles had always been marked by the most extreme discretion, his discarding of them entirely did not tend to make him look younger. “And then you must please bear in mind that I am afflicted with deafness,” added Byme, with a smile, when Gerald had drawn a chair up to the fire. “It 1s not a very extreme form of deafness, but still it is necessary that I should be spoken to in a louder voice than ordinary; and it is sufficiently bad,” he added, with a chuckle, “‘to prevent me, as I sit in my easy-chair by the fire, from overhearing any little private conversation that you and another person—my daughter, for instance —might choose to hold together as you sit by the sofa there, only a. few yards away.” ‘I certainly can’t understand,” said Gerald to himself, “ how all this. scheming, and all these disguises, can in any way further the object which Ambrose Murray has so profoundly at heart.” Gerald felt mystified, and he probably looked it. Asif in response to his unspoken thought, Byrne presently said: ‘All these things seem very strange to you, Ido not doubt, Mr. Warburton; but you will believe me when I assure you that I have not for one moment lost sight of the particular end for which my services are retained. As soon as I begin to see my way a little more clearly—if I ever do—my plana and purposes shall all be told to you and Mr. Murray. I have built up a certain theory in my mind, and there seems only one way of ascer- taining whether that theory has any foundation in fact. If it have, it may possibly lead us on to the clue we are in search of. If it have not —but I will not anticipate failure, however probable it may be. If I still possess the confidence of Mr. Murray and yourself, if you are still willing to let me have my own way in this thing for a little while longer, then I am perfectly satisfied.” ‘¢ We have every confidence in you, Mr. Byrne,” said Gerald, earnestly, ‘and we are both satisfied that the case could not have been entrusted into more capable hands than yours.” While Gerald was speaking, a door that led to an inner room was opened, and Miriam Byme came in. Byrne rose, laid one hand on the region of his heart, and gave 4 graceful wave with the other. ‘‘ My daughter, Mr. Warburton—my only child,” he said. | “T am glad that you have called to see us, Mr. Warburton,” said Miriam, frankly, in her rich, full voice. ‘‘ My father has talked so much about you that my curiosity was quite piqued, to see for myself what his rara avis was like.” CORnniclooolkks