The Argosy — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 105. Will you come in, Robert ?” “T don’t mind if I do,” was the answer—for in good truth Robert Dalrymple was too wretched not to seize on anything that might serve to divert him from his own thoughts. But Mr Grubb paused in ~ sudden remembrance. ‘‘Mary is here to-day. Have you any objection to meet her ?” “Objection! I shall like it,” answered Robert, with a flush of emotion, for Mary Lynn was still inexpressibly dear to him. “I wish with my whole heart she was my wife—that we had never parted! It was all my foolish doing.” “T thought at the time you were rather chivalrous: I must say that,” observed Mr. Grubb, regarding him attentively. ‘‘I suppose, in point of fact, you are both waiting for one another now.” ‘Why do you say that ?” asked the young man in evident agitation. ‘Step in here, Robert,” said Mr. Grubb, drawing him through the hall to his own study. ‘‘ Mary persistently refuses to accept good offers: she has had two during the past year; therefore, I conclude that she and you have some private understanding on the point. I told her g0 one day, and all the answer I got consisted of a laugh and a blush.” It could have been nothing to the blush that rose to Robert’s face now ; brow, ears, neck, were dyed blood-red. ‘The terrible conscious- ness of how untrue this was, how untrue it was obliged to be, was -smiting him with reproachful stings. Mr. Grubb mistook the signs. “T think,” he said, “that former parting was a mistake. It was perfectly right and just that Mrs. Dalrymple should have been well provided for, but —-——” “You think I should have taken Moat Grange myself, and procured another home for my mother,” interrupted Robert. ‘‘ Most people do think so. But, if you knew how I hated the sight of the Grange !— never a single room of it but my poor dead father’s face seemed to rise up to confront me!” “Tt might have been best that you should remain in your own home; we will not discuss it now. What I want to say, is this—that if you and Mary have been really living upon hope, I don’t see why you need live on it anylonger. <A portion of your own revenues you may surely claim, a few hundreds yearly ; and Mary shall bring as much grist to the mill on her side.” You are very kind, very thoughtful,” murmured Robert. “But there must be a proviso to that,” continued Mr. Grubb. ‘* Reports have reached me that Robert Dalrymple is going headlong to the bad—pardon me if I speak out the whispers freely—that he is becoming reckless, a gamester, I know not what all. Ido not believe this, Robert ; I do not wish to believe it. I have seen nothing to confirm it myself; you are in one set of London men, I am in another. In a young man situated as you are, alone, without home-ties, some latitude of conduct may be pardoned; if he be a good man and true, he will soon pull himself straight again. If you can assure me COMIC OOO SS (CO) im