The Argosy — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Montagu’s Governess. 231 ‘Did he—did he speak at all about—religion?” she asked next, hesitatingly. “JT read him a psalm, and said a prayer at his desire.” ‘‘ Had he no message to send to me?” “The power of speech was beginning to leave him when I saw him ; he took thought, you perceive, for the news of his death to reach you. He was but just able to give me the necessary names and one or two bare particulars, which I at once took down in writing. In this packet,” continued North, placing in her hands a small sealed parcel, “‘ you will find one or two articles, and the precise date of his death, place of burialand so forth. Be assured that everything was as thoroughly attended to as his friends could possibly desire,” concluded the young man, without adding that it was of his care and at his expense that all this had been done for the destitute stranger. She rose from her seat to leave the room. North attended her to the door and, opening it, waited for her to pass through; but before doing so Marion turned round, and her gratitude shining out through her wet eyes, she said simply and softly: ‘‘ Thank you for. your good- ness to him, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I suspect your kindness was even more and greater than you have told me.” The next moment Talbot North was alone. Before there was a chance of Miss Lockhart’s being down the next morning, or of Mr. and Mrs. Montagu’s return, Talbot North had left again. Mrs. Montagu was in despair at having missed her favourite brother’s brief visit.; but a letter which she received from himself a little later brought consolation, for it announced that he had aban- doned the idea of returning to India, and was making arrangements for settling in England. ‘“‘He must have been offered a splendid appointment to alter his plans so greatly,” said Mrs. Montagu, sagely. And her husband was about to endorse this opinion, when he chanced to catch sight of Miss Lockhart’s face, illumined with a tender roseate glow. “There is the true cause of the change,” said he to himself. ‘‘We are to have a wedding.” And Mr. Montagu was right both in his conclusions and in his prophecy. COMmicooolks ) (S(O)