The Argosy — page 30: what you’re looking at

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Mrs. Raven's Temptation. 17 “ People who are heartless enough to impose on others will not pause where their cheating is likely to be a real injury,” observed Mrs. Connell. ‘‘ But 1t seems to me that the fault was the girl’s own. Why did she go?” “Ah!” groaned Miss Beck. ‘You can’t put old heads upon young shoulders.” From these remarks, Philip gathered that Miss Beck’s maid had been consulting the witch, and had not been permitted, like his party, to escape payment. He felt soothed, somehow. The woman must be but a commonplace impostor after all. Mr. Connell spoke a few words of wisdom, half jestingly. ‘Now, it’s a true pleasure to hear you talk, sir,” exclaimed Miss Beck; ‘‘you say exactly what I wanted to say myself. If Betsy wished to know whether the grocer’s young man was a fit sweetheart for her, had she not better have come to you or Mrs. Connell ?—I won’t say to me or Miranda, seeing that we have no experience in such things.” At this point Philip heard the hall door opened, and guessed it was by Frank, returning. So he sprang up and bade the old ladies a hasty adieu, his very hurry giving his speech an enthusiasm and warmth which highly delighted them. The young men went off together, Philip linking his arm through Frank’s, in his wonted fashion. Philip poured out the story of Miss Beck’s indignation, with mimicries of that lady’s quaint manner, which kept Frank interested and amused till they were in front of Daylight Villa. The windows of that mysterious abode were as usual closely screened—‘‘as if it were afraid of its own sponsor,” Philip observed. Everything about the place had the most neglected and sordid appearance. ‘The door-ledges were dusty, the bell-handles dull and damp, the uneven doorstep bore tramplings of dirty footmarks. “T wonder if the Delphic oracle was always in a mess,” Philip said, after he had knocked. The door was promptly opened. Philip had brought no note with him this morning, and he found himself involved in the difficulty which Percy had humorously stated. “Is the—is the foreign lady, who stays here, at home just now?” was his adroit way of naming the Oriental Mystery. ‘‘Can this gentleman see her? He will not detain her long.” Frank had expected that people who came upon such quests would find themselves at least objects of interest to those who must guess their business. He was quite struck by the easy, utter indifference of the dirty little serving-maid. ‘“‘ Yes, Madame’s in, sir,” she answered, wiping her hands on her apron, ‘‘but I don’t think she wants to see anybody to-day.” “Will you ask her, if you please,” said Philip, with all his customary suavity of manner. ‘‘Say she has seen one of the gentle- VOL. XXXIV. C ECOnnicloooks (GO