The Argosy — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 87 in all to him still. Why, had he not begged of her to confide this thing to him, and he would make it straight and guard her from exposure P “T have nothing to fear from him, papa. I knowit. It will be all right.” “How can you assert this in barefaced confidence, you wicked child!” groaned Lady Acorn, ‘“I’d not—no, I’d not be so brazen for the world.” | ‘“¢ Adela, don’t deceive yourself with vain expectations ; it may be harder for you in the end,” interposed her father, once more making a deprecatory motion towards the place where his wife’s tongue lay. “You are assuming a surety which you have no right to feel; better look the truth sternly in the face.” “Tam his wife, papa,” she faintly urged. ‘‘He will be sure to shelter me.” ‘“He may be able to shelter you from exposure; I doubt not but that he will do it, so far as he can, for his own sake as well as for yours ; for all our sakes, indeed. But i 3 ‘““A few years ago you might have been hanged,” struck in Lady Acorn. ‘‘ Hanged outside Newgate. I can remember the time when death was the penalty for forgery. Dr. Dodd was hung for it. How would you have liked that?” Adela did not say how she would have liked it. She was passing her hands nervously across her face, as if to keep down its pallor. As to Lord Acorn, he despaired of being allowed to finish any argu- ment he might begin, and paced the room restlessly. ‘But, though your husband may shield you from public exposure, it is too much to hope that he will absolve you from consequences, and I think you will have to face and bear them,” recommenced Lord Acorn, talking while he walked. ‘‘Had my wife served me as you have served Grubb, I should have put her away from me for ever ; and [I tell it you, Adela, before her as she stands there, though she is your mother.” ‘And served me right, too,” commented Lady Acorn. “Flow do you mean, papa?” gasped Adela. ‘“My meaning ought to be plain enough,” was Lord Acorn’s angry reproof. ‘* Are you wilfully shutting your eyes to the nature of the offence you have sullied yourself with P—its degradation P—its sin ?” he sharply questioned. ‘‘There’s hardly a worse in our criminal code, that I know of, except murder.” ‘But I do not understand,” she faintly reiterated. ‘‘ If my husband absolves me, who else ———” ‘“He may absolve you so far as the general public goes, shield you from that penalty,” was the impatient interruption; ‘ but not from your offence to himself. In my judgment you must not look for that.” Adela did not answer. She glanced at her father questioningly, with an imploring look. COMI1COOOKSs.EO