The Argosy — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. 99 —lawyers can always do that,” gasped Mrs. Raven. ‘But oh, Leo- nard, I cannot sit here waiting. It might bea saving of doubt and trouble if I were on the spot. Jam not rash, Leonard. See! Jam calm ; quite calm.” Her son looked at her doubtfully, and spoke unwillingly. ‘‘ Well, mother, I suppose you must do as you will.” And then Mrs. Raven went upstairs to herown chamber, and stood there in the dark, looking out at the moonbeams sleeping on the heavily laden branches—the same moonbeams that stole into Frank’s City bedroom. If poor Frank had dreamed of such things in his troubled slumbers he would, on awaking, have only sighed, “‘ How wild dreams are!” CHAPTER VIII. IN THE LAWYERS’ OFFICE. Own Friday night James Sloam, the page, took down orders that the little basket chaise was to be ready early next morning to drive Mrs. Raven to the railway station. She came down stairs, muffled in her fur cloak and widow’s veil. Leonard did not rise to see her off. _ Little attentions had never been in his line: moreover, he did not altogether approve of the expedition. To take his breakfast frequently in bed was but a result of his sickly boyhood. Mrs. Raven took her drive in silence. James Sloam, a good- humoured, country-looking lad, saw nothing significant in that. Mrs. Raven seldom spoke to her under-servants, unless to complain. On the platform they found Charity Hale. She was to travel by the same train as Mrs. Raven, but only as far as the market town, Standchester. It was one of Charity Hale’s duties, though neither cook nor housekeeper, but simply the upper servant of all, to cater weekly for such commodities as the Home Farm did not furnish. Mrs. Raven gave a start when she saw Charity, angrily wondering what brought her there, but the next minute recalled the fact that she was only where she ought to be, on that day and at that hour. Still, her presence brought uneasiness. From her carriage window Mrs. Raven watched her talking to James Sloam, before the train moved off. And at Standchester she watched again to see Charity alight from her third-class carriage: and when the woman was lost amidst the crowd on the platform she felt more at ease. Mrs. Raven was in that ner- vous and shaken condition when fear attaches itself quite unreasonably to everything. The train waited here ten minutes. It was about to start on again, when another passenger appeared in great haste, and was put in the carriage behind Mrs. Raven’s. This was a tall woman, wearing the dark dress, mantle, and ample CONNICLOO© Ss (SO)