The Argosy — page 271: what you’re looking at

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

254 In the Dead of Night. are not allowed to hate one another, or else I’m afraid I should hate that girl.” She shook her fist at an imaginary Jane, went straight up stairs, and gave her maid a good blowing-up. Some three weeks had now come and gone since Tom, breaking for once through the restraint which had hitherto kept him back, did and said something which made Jane very happy. What he did was to draw her face down to his and kiss it: what he said was simply, **Good night, my darling.” Nothing more, but quite enough to be understood by her to whom the words were spoken. But since that evening not one syllable more of love had been breathed by Tom. For anything that had since passed between them Jane might have imagined that she had merely dreamt the words—that the speaking of them was nothing more than a fancy of her own love-sick brain. Under similar circumstances many young ladies would have con- sidered themselves aggrieved, and would not have been deemed un- reasonable in sothinking. But Jane had no intention whatever of adopt- ing an injured tone even in her own inmost thoughts. She had never been in the habit of looking upon herself in the light of a victim, and she had no intention of beginning to do so now. Surprised—slightly surprised—she might be, but that was all. In Tom’s manner towards her, in the way he looked at her, there was that indescribable something which gave her the sweet assurance that she was still loved as much as ever. Such being the case, she was well satisfied to wait. She felt that her lover’s silence had a meaning, that he was not dumb without a reason. When the proper time should come he would speak, and to some purpose. ‘Till then Eros should keep a finger on his lips, and speak only the language of the eyes. ‘““So this is the way you treat me, is it, young man?” said the Squire sternly, as Tom re-entered _ room. “T beg your pardon, sir,” said Tom, looking at him in sheer amaze- ment. “Oh, don’t pretend that you don’t know what I mean.” . ee — seem stupid on my part, but I must really plead igno- rance.’ - “You worm yourself into my confidence till you get the run of the house, and can come and go as you like, and you finish up by making love to my daughter!” “Tt is no crime to love Miss Culpepper, I hope, sir. There are few people, I imagine, who could know her without loving her.” “'That’s all very well, but you don’t get over me in that way, young sir. What right have you to make love to my daughter? That's what I want to know.” ~ “JT may love Miss Culpepper, but I have never told her so.” “Do you mean to say that you have never asked her to marry you?” Gomicbooks.co a ; 1 . ‘