The Argosy — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

84 Court Netherleigh. the unhappy prisoner, took her daughter’s arm and hurried away, glad to escape from the place and the interview. ‘A capital success we have had, Gracie,” she cried, when they got outside the stone walls, “‘but it’s all thanks to me. You would have beat about the bush, and palavered, and hesitated, and done no good. I got it out of him nicely—tlike the green sea-gull that the boy is. But, Grace, my child”—and Lady <Acorn’s voice for once grew hushed and solemn—‘“ what in the world will be done with Adela?” It was a painful scene, that in which they brought it home to Lady Adela. When Lady Acorn carried to her husband the news of Charles’s unconscious avowal, he was struck almost dumb with con- sternation. ‘The worst conclusion he had come to, in regard to some of the notes being traced to his daughter, was, that she had but borrowed money from Charles Cleveland. Innocently. Yes; he could not and would not think she had any knowledge of how Charles became possessed of the money. Lord Acorn, in spite of his perpetual embarrassments, and his not altogether straightforward shifts to evade them, possessed the true sense of honour that gene- rally pertains to his order. He possessed it especially in regard to woman ; and to find that his most favoured and favourite daughter had been guilty of theft ; of—of—he could not pursue the thought, he sank down with his pain. ‘We had better go to her, and hear what she has to plead in excuse, and—and—ascertain how far her peculations have gone,” he said presently to his wife. ‘‘ Perhaps there are more of them. Poor Grubb !” So they went to Grosvenor Square, arm-in-arm, but sick at heart, and found Lady Adela alone. She was toying with a golden bird in a golden cage; gold at any rate in colour; a recent purchase. Her afternoon dress of muslin had golden-hued sprigs upon it, and there was much gilding of mirrors and other ornaments in the room, the taste of that day. <A gay scene altogether, and Adela the gayest and prettiest object in it. She was not quite as heartless, though, as appeared on the surface, or as Lady Acorn judged her to be. Adela was growing frightened. She was beginning to realise what it was she had done, and to wonder, in much self-torment, what would come of it. That Mr. Grubb would release Charles Cleveland she had not at first entertained the smallest doubt, or that the affair would be entirely hushed up. Charles would be true to her, never disclose her name, and there it would end. With this fond expectation she had buoyed herself up; but as the days went on, and Charles was still kept in Newgate, soon to be brought up for another examination preparatory to committal for trial, she grew alarmed. For the past day or two her uneasiness had been intolerable. Could she have saved Charles CORNICE OOOKS (E@)