The Argosy — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

L[n the Dead of Night. 323 love; and here I ask you to become my wife. Get along, Diamond, do, sir.” ‘Dearest, you are not blind,” he went on. ‘‘ You must have seen, you must have known, for a long time past, that my heart—my love— were wholly yours; and that I might one day win you for my own has been a hope, a blissful dream, that has haunted me and charmed my life for longer than I cantell. I ought, perhaps, to have spoken of this to you before, but there were certain reasons for my silence which it is not necessary to dilate upon now, but which, if you care to hear them, I will explain to you another time. Here, then, I ask you whether you feel as if you could ever learn to love me, whether you can ever care forme enough to become my wife. Speak to me, darling —whisper the one little word I burn to hear. Lift your eyes to mine, and let me read there that which will make me happy for life.” Except they two, there was no human being visible. They were alone with the trees, and the birds, and the sailing clouds. There was no one to overhear them save that sly old Diamond, and he pretended to be not listening a bit. For the second time he came to a stand-still, and this time his artfulness remained unreproved and unnoticed. Jane trembled a little, but her eyes were still cast down. Tom tried to see into their depths but could not. ‘‘ You promised papa that you would not take me from him without his consent,” she said, speaking in little more than a whisper. ‘‘ That consent you will never obtain.” “That consent I shall obtain if you will only give me yours first.” He spoke firmly and unhesitatingly. Jane could hardly believe her ears. She looked up at him in sheer surprise. For the first time their eyes met. “You don’t know papa as well as I do—how obstinate he is, how full of whims and crotchets. No—no;I feel sure that he will never consent.” ; *‘ And I feel equally sure that he will. I have no fear on that score —none. But I will put the question to you in another way, in the short business-like way that comes most naturally to a man like me. Jane, dearest, if I can persuade your father to give you to me, will you be so given? Will you come to me and be my own—my wife—for ever ?” Still no answer. Onlyimperceptibly she crept a little closer to his side—a very little. He took that for his answer. First one arm went round her and then the other. He drew her to his heart, he drew her to his lips; he kissed her and called her his own. And she? Well, painful though it be to write it, she never reproved him in the least, but seemed content to sit there with her head resting on his shoulder, and to suffer Love’s sweet punishment of kisses in silence. It is on record that Diamond was the first to move. While standing there he had fallen into a snooze, and had dreamt COnnicloOol<s (CO)