The Argosy — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

8 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. Louisa and Evelyn decided to pass the rest of the night together. They each felt that after this midnight mystery, it would be a relief to speak with somebody who had shared in the adventures of the pre- ceding day. ‘They went upstairs with Mrs. Raven, assuring her that in their room, next hers, they must hear every sound which could possibly reach her ears, any call she might make. There was a spice of scorn in the pale smile she turned upon them before she closed her door. To her, Philip’s attempted glib explanation of certain facts, known only to herself, invested those facts with their worst horror. CHAPTER*X21% THE TWO FORTUNES. THE two girls slept little that night. Louisa found relief from her over-wrought condition in a rush of confidences, of which Evelyn was chosen to be the recipient, only because she had been the part- ner—indeed, the originator—of yesterday’s exploit. Louisa Connel) was not attracted to Evelyn: indeed, she was already beginning to feel a peculiar mistrust of her. But, then, towhom else could she speak? Not to her mother. Not to Miss Cleare. It almost frightened her to feel how this stranger suddenly stood within 2 circle from which her own familiar, fondly-loved parent, and a girl whose character she had learned implicitly to trust were shut out. If only she could tell ¢iem of that clandestine expedition to the Cave! In more than one remark to Evelyn she implied this longing, though something about Evelyn made her shrink from fully express- ing it. She felt that Evelyn Agate despised her already, and that she could only despise her more if she knew that she craved to revea} the secret they had agreed to keep. In reality, Evelyn was by no means averse to its being told. She wanted the witch’s message to reach Frank’s ears, and if this could not be done without the others hearing, well, then, let then hear! She had boundless faith in her own powers of self-justification and bewitchment ; she was sure that she could be very graceful in disgrace. But she was not going to encourage Louisa to make public revelations. Nobody should be able to recollect afterwards that she had stirred one finger towards bringing Frank and this strange Sybil together. ‘‘T do wish I had not gone near that woman,” moaned Louisa on her pillow. ‘‘ This sort of nonsense has an effect upon one’s nerves, and some of the things she said to me were depressing.” “Tf you feel they are nonsense, it is very weak to be troubled by them,” replied Evelyn. ‘You heard all she said,” Louisa went on, “and how she talked CORNICE OOOKS (EO)