The Argosy — page 274: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 257 Lady Harriet laughed. ‘‘ You are just the goose you used to be, Fred.” “No doubt,” assented Captain Frederic. ‘‘ Where’s the use of being anything better in such a silly world as this? Your wife has always paid me compliments, MaclIvor, since the time when we were in pinafores.” ‘Just as she does me,” nodded little SirSandy. ‘And how is Mr. Grubb ?—I liked him, too, Captain. Does he still keep up that great big establishment in Grosvenor Square, all for himself?” “Yes. Why shouldn’t he? He’s rich enough to keep up tem such. By the way, he is a member of Parliament now—do you know it? ‘They’ve returned him for Wheatshire.” And thus the conversation continued. But we need not follow it. After Captain Cust left at night, for he stayed the day with them, Lady Harriet sat in silent thought, apparently weighing some matter in her mind. “Sandy,” she said at length, looking across at him, “ I don’t think I shall tell Adela anything about this—I mean that her husband 1s tm take the baronetcy. It will be better not.” “Why ?” asked Sir Sandy. “Tt will bring her past folly home to her so severely. It migh® bring all the fever back again.” ‘* As you please of course, dear. But she did not seem to care at all when told he had inherited Netherleigh.” “’That’s all you know about it, Sandy!” retorted Lady Harriet. ‘* 7saw—all the light in her eyes and the flush in her cheeks. I tell you, sir, she is in love with her husband now, though she may never have been before, and it will try her too greatly, in her sick state. Her chief bone of contention in the old days was his name; that’s removed now. And she has forfeited that lovely place, Court Netherleigh !” | “You know best, my dear. Perhaps it will be kinder not to tel? her. But you will have to caution Davvy, and those about her: this is news that will not rest in a nutshell. But,” remarked Sir Sandy after a pause, ‘‘ with all deference to your superior judgment, Harriet,, I do not think she can care much more for her husband now tham she cared of yore.” ‘Listen, Sandy,” was the whispered answer; “yesterday evening at dusk I went softly up to Adela’s room, and peeped in to see whether she was dozing. She sat in the fire-light, her head bent over that little old photograph she has of Mr. Grubb. Suddenly she gave a yearning kind of cry, and began raining tears and kisses upon it.” VOL, 3XXII. | = (OO) eCOnnicls Sa(CO