The Argosy — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

86 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. he had implicit faith in ‘the cloaked foreigners who stalk in corners. Even when they were 'renchmen—the refugee republicans of those days—Frank was more sympathetic than might have been expected from his Conservative breeding. But the Tories who had led his politics were of the sound, old-fashioned sort, who can forgive a 'renchman anything except contentment with his country or him- ‘(hey turned into one of the quieter streets, where the traces of decay and poverty were at least decorous. Philip paused before a door in no way differing from all the doors around. Its handle and knocker might be a little brighter, but its paint was as poor and worn, and there was the regulation display of bells on its post. Philip pulled the lowest of them. The door was openedby a little faded woman servant, hardly of middle age, with a scared expression of face. It brightened into a pale smile when she recognised Mr. Connell. “Ha, Davies,” said that gentleman, cheerily. ‘‘ How are you? And is Miss Agate at home and disengaged ?” Evidently his voice was already heard within, for from the parlour came words in a clear, ringing tone, inviting him to enter. Philip advanced with all his graceful self-possession. “I will not apologise for bringing my cousin to see you without express permis- sion, Miss Agate,” he said, ‘‘for you are the only person I know who can never be taken by surprise.” ‘Come in, certainly,” answered the ringing voice. ‘My tea is just ready. And here are my cups and saucers.” ‘““Miss Agate, allow me to introduce my cousin, Frank Raven, from Ravenstoke,” said Philip, when they were fairly in the room. A slight, upright figure rose to welcome them. That was all Frank could see at first, for the figure stood against the light, and it was already so late in the gloaming that the room was quite shadowy. Frank bowed, but the lady held out her hand. ‘Vou are Mr. Connell’s cousin,” she said, “and therefore, 1 think we may shake hands. And will you sit down on that chair with the green cushion; and do you take milk and sugar in your tea? Mr. Connell takes only milk, and therefore I shall serve him first, or I shall be sure to forget his whims.” The words of the welcome might be homely, but there could be no mistake that she who uttered them was a lady, youngish yet. And when the faded little serving woman brought in a lamp, and Frank could clearly see his hostess’s face, it did not belie her tone and manner. Frank was no connoisseur in female loveliness: only he knew the faces he liked. He had liked the face of that little lonely governess in the Ravenstoke lanes. And he liked this one. It was a curiously straight face. The line of brow and chin was strictly even; all the angles of the countenance were right angles. Its contour was a little worn, and it was almost colourless ; but the CONMIELICOCO_ KS. (E)