The Argosy — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

344 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. She met me there one evening when I was hopelessly waiting to see Eldred, and called me into a little shed that stands there, and told me she knew the trouble I was in.” ‘And you did not know her?” “No, sir; no. I never heard her name. She wasn’t young: she must have been forty—a tall woman, dark, and well-dressed.” Philip touched his father’s foot under the table. Evidently he wanted to emphasize this description. ‘She gave me money, sir, and bade me go to London to an address she handed me. I was not to mention her to the people of the house, or speak to them of my affairs at all; but she said she was sure to know directly my baby was born, and she would come at once and take it away. She gave me plenty of money. Forgive me, sir, for a wicked woman, but the fancy would keep running in my head that as the lady of the Court was expecting too, and had sickly babies that died, mine might be meant to take the place of hers !” They were all listening with intense interest. ‘¢ But oh, those dreadful days !”’ wailed poor Mary, ‘‘ when my little girl was born, and the woman never kept her promise, nor came nigh ame !” ‘But she did come after all,” suggested Mr. Dewe. ‘‘ Aye,” said Mary, choking back her sobs, ‘‘she did come. And she got the child. She did not speak so gracious-like this time. And she bade me go and lodge in a little coffee-house—and I was not to mention her there, either. But she knew the kind of folk that kept it, she said ; and if I showed myself a decent woman, they'd get me honest work among their neighbours—and so they did. I did char- ang for a while, and then I settled down with Miss Gertrude Agate— bless her !” “And you heard about the calamity in that house, didn’t you ?” said Philip. ** Aye, sir ; I knew that a baby had been taken from their house too, a baby-boy, against their will. But when I opened the door one evening with Miss Agate, through hearing a child cry, and saw the little queen on the steps, I knew it was mine that minute! It came over me at once, like, you see, sir; and when I took her up there was a dear little mole on her neck, that I could have sworn to anywhere. I reckon whoever put her there wished me to know she was mine, for they had pinned on her clothes the date of her birth, just one year before.” ‘‘ And you kept your secret from Miss Agate ?” asked Mr. Connell. There was a shade of reproach either in his words or his tone, or at least Mary Davies felt it so, for she burst into tears. ‘IT know I’ve been a wicked woman,” she cried. ‘I’ve lived a long lie with the best, most patient angel-lady that breathes in this world. But oh, sir, it was hard on me! Id found out, well enough, what the world has to say to a woman that doesn’t tell where she’s COPMICLMIOO KS OL)