The Argosy — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

The Mysteries of Heron Dyke. 165 that I went to the Lilacs, in your place, on Thursday afternoon, to the tea-party. And—and, somehow—we ladies were all talking together ; one topic led to another —and—” Mrs. Toynbee broke down, from sheer nervousness. ‘And you told of the finding of the jewels, and where they were deposited,” spoke up the inspector. ‘It was led up to,” she said, excusing herself in the best way she could, and hardly able to keep from tears. ‘¢ The ladies had been saying to me that I must find a country life very much lacking in excitement, after the metropolis; to which I replied that we were not always destitute of excitement, even in a country life; and I— I then did speak of the jewels. But who was to imagine,” she added, plucking up a little spirit, “that even the smallest danger could exist in mentioning it to ladies. T hey are all well-known ; as trustworthy as we are.”’ “Do I gather, madam, that only ladies were present,” said the inspector. ‘No gentlemen?” “It was a meeting for ladies only,” replied Mrs. Toynbee. “ One gentleman came in towards the last—Mr. Philip Cleeve. He came to fetch his mother. I remember he made a remark to the effect that the bureau was not a very safe place to leave the jewels in.” “A very sensible remark to make, under the circumstances,” returned the inspector drily. ‘‘ Madam, can you give me the names of the ladies who heard this news ?” “Oh, yes,” replied Mrs, Toynbee ; ‘we were not many—eight or ten, or so.” And she succeeded in remembering all the names. They were all well-known gentlewomen—all trustworthy, as the inspector had reason to know and believe. “ One of them must have mentioned it abroad, in ‘the hearing of some dangerous ears,” he said to himself. ‘‘ Madam,” he added, aloud, to Miss Winter, ‘I will not detain you further at present ; but I may need to see you again.” ‘¢Whenever you will, Mr. Wade,” she sighed. “‘ It is a dreadful thing altogether—and very mysterious. It seems to me we have had nothing but painful mysteries for some time now at Heron Dyke.” The chief-constable glanced rather keenly at Miss Winter, in answer to this, and took his leave. As he closed the drawing-room door Mrs. Toynbee’s suppressed tears burst forth. ‘J am heartbroken, my dear,” she sobbed—and, in truth, she did seem bitterly repentant: “ Perfectly heartbroken to think that any thoughtless remarks of mine should have conduced in any way to this terrible catastrophe. I never thought that anything I might say in a moment of confidence —— ” : “J should not have thought there was much danger in it my- self,” interrupted Miss Winter, kindly. ‘‘ Do not distress yourself. Though they must have talked of it again, you see; and so it must — have got about, and come to the knowledge of improper people.’ CoOnniclooolKks (CO)