The Argosy — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

244 The Mysteries of Heron Dyke. *‘ As an ogre, no doubt,” he rejoined, with a comical nod. “I know. Poor Gilbert! he had his curious fancies, and one of them was to abuse me: I’m as sure of that as if I’d heard him. My dear, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to meet you. Confess now, that you had expected to see some dangerous kind of fellow in me: one that bites, eh?” *“ No, indeed,” returned Ella. ‘TI am surprised because I had no expectation of seeing you.” ** And you find me a worse hobgoblin chen you imagined ? ” “IT do not find you one at all,” she said, taking the place beside him. “Well, well; a certain personage is said not to be so black as he is painted ; let us hope that it will prove so in the present case. Ah! what a pity it is that Frank’s not here to-night!” he added, abruptly. ‘Your son, Mr. Denison ?” asked Ella, her serious dark-blue eyes bent full upon him. “Yes, my son; my will-o’-the-wisp, my ne’er-do-weel, the plague of my life,” answered Mr. Denison. In his short, sharp sentences, and abrupt turns, Ella was put strongly in mind of her uncle. - “T should have been greatly pleased to meet him,” she said. “Ts he away from home ? ” ‘“‘ Away from home !” exploded the old gentleman. ‘‘ He’s nearly always away from home. I never know to-a thousand miles where to lay my finger on him. He might be a gipsy for restlessness. He is always gadding about from Dan to Beersheba. An incorrigible young fellow—a rolling stone that will never rest anywhere. I wish to goodness he would get married to some woman who knew how to tame him and make him settle down at home!” Ella felt amused; her face showed it. Mr. Denison shook his head and frowned. “Now, why couldn’t Frank have married you, for instance? ” he suddenly asked, after a brief pause. This amused her more. ‘‘ Dear Mr. Denison, I fear it would be altogether beyond my powers to tame so inveterate a roamer,” she quietly said. ; “ Not at all—not at all. You are just the sort of woman to doit.” | It seemed rather doubtful to Ella whether this ought to be taken. asacompliment. ‘It would have been so satisfactory, you know, to have had all the property in a nutshell—yours and mine,” added the old gentleman. ‘‘ Not that Frank need covet money: I shall be able to leave him some. But Heron Dyke ought to have been his— after me: he is nearer to it than you are. My dear, you have too much good sense, as I can see, to take offence at an old man’s - crotchets, and I am speaking to you as friend speaks to friend.” “T hope you will always so speak to me,” warmly interrupted Ella. So I wish Frank could have known you—and taken a fancy to comicbooks