The Argosy — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

6 Winifred Power. There was a little sleepy talk in the drawing-room later; a little mild music; Walter Russell said a few earnest words to Mary, who was looking pale and fatigued; and then at ten o’clock everybody went home. “Mary!” began John on returning to the drawing-room after see- ing his guests off: but Mary had already slipped away, and only Martha was left. She was obviously uneasy, and looked more depre- cating than ever. Her cousin resumed: ‘You were in Canterbury to-day, I hear. I need not ask the reason. Of course you went to meet Ralph Mercer.” Some surprise now succeeded to the fear on Martha’s face; never had John spoken to her on that subject in a tone so removed from irritation. “Tt was partly my fault that we went,” she began, anxious still to shield her darling; but he interrupted her with a wave of his hand. ‘T ask for no explanations and wish for none. Mary knows my wishes, and those of our father. If she chooses to run counter to both, I cannot help it. But I would like you, Martha, to try to convince her that my desire—my most earnest desire—is that she would treat me with frankness; and abandon once for all these clandestine meetings, and these paltry subterfuges which are as un- worthy of herself as insulting to me.” Martha stared at him in the blankest astonishment. ‘The one point on which she had ever ventured to think John less than perfect had been his conduct in regard to his sister’s engagement. For it was he, quite as much as his father, who had driven young Mercer away. Could it be that he was relenting ? John resumed: ‘‘ This Parsons? It is strange I do not remember her.” «She was here for a very short time in your school-days, and left to get married. Jacobs is a cousin of hers. It was through him that I first heard she was ill.” “Jacobs?” John took up the tongs, and carefully arranged the fire. Jacobs was the butler, and had been some years in the family. The young master of Hatherley House was certainly in a very genia} mood to-night, for while, as a rule, he troubled himself little about the servants, on this occasion Jacobs and Jacobs’ cousin appeared to possess a singular interest for him. “And the poor thing is bedridden, Martha? I hope she is in good circumstances ?” “Yes,” Martha said, ‘‘ her husband is a pawnbroker.” “Tn the City 2’ “No. In a street not very far from that Linden-Grove Road which they were speaking of at dinner.” ‘Ah, yes. What a strange, absent-minded question that was of Mary’s! What could have made her think that dealers in old books lived up there?” continued John, carelessly enough, but directing, ECOPMIC LOOKS, Eo)