The Argosy — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

168 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. ‘Has he been down at the Vale Cottages, about those pigsties ? ” asked Mrs. Raven. ‘T think so,” said Charity. ‘‘I’m mortal feared we’ll have a fever break out if they are touched. ‘To my idea stirring dangerous stuff to get it away is more likely to breed pestilence than leaving it at peace to waste away in the course of nature. But then I know that the letting it alone is only the way of poor, ignorant folk, and gentry can’t be expected to abide it. ‘The gentry canna let things be. It is only low people who would leave a cur sleeping, sooner than get a bite from him.” Mrs. Raven said nothing in reply. It had not occurred to her, while she turned her back on the old woman, that Charity could watch her face reflected in the mirror. But as she suddenly moved away, the old woman’s image displaced her own in the looking-glass, and she caught a strange smile lurking about the thin lips. Quitting the room without a word, she left Charity standing in it. Mrs. Raven went straight to the dining-room, though the gong had not yet sounded. ‘The table was already spread, and the lamps were burning dimly, for the setting sun had still left a strong glory in the heavens above the belt of firs which bounded the horizon in that direction. Mrs. Raven lingered at the window, looking out, but seeing nothing. She had stood so for ten minutes before the gong sounded and her son came in. He greeted her with a surprised, cold exclamation: “Are you back so soon?” and went straight to his seat. She lingered a moment beside him as she passed to her place. But he was unfold- ing his napkin and did not even look towards her. Kissing and clasping hands were not among the habits of the house. Mrs. Raven herself had checked Frank in those manifestations, and Leonard had never attempted them. The meal was very silent. The page, James Sloam, was not in attendance, only the old butler, Budd, and a footman who went in and out of the room carrying dishes. ‘IT did not expect you could get back so soon,” remarked her son. “Did you carry out your appointment ?” ‘Oh yes,” she said in a slow indifferent tone, pausing to indicate her wish forsome condiment on the table. ‘‘Oh yes, and it was very wearisome to find how easy it seemed to get at everything but what one wanted. I don’t think I shall look out for it any more.” “Tm afraid you had not sufficiently defined ideas of what you did want,” observed Leonard. She looked across the table with a sudden flash in her grey eyes. But she said nothing. She was only too thankful if he would let the subject drop thus, until they were alone. When the meal was over, they both rose: Leonard rarely stayed to drink wine, and he instantly went to the little writing-table in the corner, and began to sum up figures in some account-book,...Hp_ had pat. - sage ae