The Argosy — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. 251 even saying ‘ while she lived.’ For she’s a long-sighted one, is Miss Evelyn, and you are rather green! Shall you like her for a sister-in- law?” “ Don’t be silly, Philip.” ‘‘ 7 should not care for her even for a cousin-in-law, I can tell you that. And I tell you now, Frank, that you may not cry out sour grapes upon me when she becomes Lady of Ravenscourt.” Oh!” said Frank. ‘I thought you seemed to admire her very much: I overheard you paying her all sorts of compliments.” “ Well,” answered Philip, carelessly, ‘‘ when you have to draw the bow in order to be civil at all, you may as well draw it pretty wide.” They started for Miss Agate’s in the evening. It was the third time Frank had been there. The incongruousness of the surround- ings which had so mystified him at first, had worn off. He knew now who and what he was going to see; and he looked at the crowded squalid streets, and the bare old houses, understanding how Gertrude Agate saw them and loved them and lived among them. This was not the sort of woman one finds in the conventional mansion with a back and front drawing-room and a butler’s pantry. Special natures have their habitats, quite as distinctly as flowers. There had been some preparation for their coming, for the parlour curtains—of some richly tinted stuff, though rather worn and faded —were drawn, and faintly illumined by a lamp burning within. ‘The servant, Mary Davies, showed them into the presence of the two ladies. A pretty tea-service was already set, and though Miss Agate was her old self in her clinging black dress and plain frills, Evelyn had blos- somed from her heavy velveteen into a creamy cashmere, set off with an olive green ribbon, which was also twined in her rich chestnut hair. She left her hand in Frank’s fora moment as he greeted her. ‘Is it not strange that I should be going to your people?” was all she said, and there was a sort of confiding appeal in her voice which might have touched the youth’s sympathy but for his conviction that Philip, just behind him, was laughing in his sleeve. ‘Ves, it is strange,” interposed Gertrude, ‘‘and only proves what I always say, that the world is but a small place. And this seems to have happened so opportunely—as if it were purposed. ‘The very same day that Evelyn was expecting her advertisement to appear, she took up the newspaper and saw one in it, a very nice one, from a lady wanting a companion, and she wrote at once. Now that I see you here, Mr. Raven, Evelyn’s going to your mother makes me feel that she will be among friends.” ‘‘T have made up my mind to make friends wherever I go,” cried Evelyn. ‘Please to remember that Mrs. Raven is my aunt as well as Frank’s mother,” remarked Philip. ‘‘ Does not that recommend her equally well? I believe nobody ever recollects that I am related to anybody but myself.” | COMmMicoooks.com