The Argosy — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

166 Court Netherleigh. ‘*Name o’ goodness!” uttered Davvy, who was three-parts Welsh, and was privately wondering whether her lady had gone suddenly de- mented. ‘And what’s it all for, my lady?—and where is it you want to go?” ‘‘ Anywhere ; this house is no longer a home for me. At least— there, don’t stand staring, but do as I tell you,” broke off Lady Adela, saying anything that came uppermost in her perplexity and fear. ‘Put up a few things for me in haste, and get a cab.” ‘“Am I to attend you, my lady ?” asked the bewildered woman. ‘““No—yes—no. Yes, perhaps you had better,” finally decided Lady Adela, in grievous uncertainty. ‘‘ Don’t lose a moment.” Davvy obeyed orders, believing nevertheless that somebody’s head was turned. She got herself ready, packed a carpet bag, had the thought to take her lady a cup of tea, exchanging a little private con- ference with her crony, the butler, while she made it, and ordered the cab. Then she and Lady Adela came down and got into it, neither of them having the slightest notion for what quarter of the wide world she was bound. : ‘Where to?” asked John of Davvy, as she foilowed her mistress : $ into thecab. ‘‘ Where to, my lady ?” demanded Davvy, in turn. ‘Anywhere. ‘Tell him to drive on,” responded Lady Adela. ‘ ‘Tell him to drive straight on,” said Davvy to John. 7 “Where can I go ?—Where shall I be safe ?” thought Adela to her- self, as they went along. ‘‘I wonder—I wonder if Sarah would take me in?” came the next thought. ‘‘ They ’—the ‘“‘they” applying to the legal thief-catchers—‘ would never think of looking for me there. Sarah is angry with me, I know, but she won’t refuse to hide me.— Davvy, direct the man to Colonel Hope’s.” This last sensible injunction was a wonderful relief to Davvy’s troubled mind. And to Colonel Hope’s they went. Lady Sarah “took her in,” and Adela hid herself away in the bed- room of her sister Frances. ‘Truth to say, they were in much anxiety themselves, the Colonel included, as to what trouble and exposure might not be falling upon Adela. They did not refuse to shelter her, but they let her know tacitly how utterly they condemned. Lady Sarah was coldly distant in manner ; the Colonel would not see her at all. Before the day was over-— it was in the afternoon—Grace came to them with the truth—that Charles Cleveland was released and had gone to Netherleigh. Adela, perhaps not altogether entirely reas- sured about herself, said she would stay at the Colonel’s another night, if permitted: and she did so. That was the explanation of Adela’s absence from home. She had left the house in fear; not voluntarily to quit it, or herhusband. Her husband, however, not knowing this, took up the other view, and dwelt upon it as he walked away from Lord Acorn’s in the summer sun. Not that, one way or the other, it would make any difference to him. Entering his house, Mr. Grubb went straight up-stairs to his CORNICIOO<S .COUE