The Argosy — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

235 in Half an Hour. enchanted me, that I could not bear to interrupt you. Is that any extenuation in your eyes?” She did not answer; her lips were yet tremulous, and her eyes moist, with recent agitation, but the hardness had gone out of her face. Noting this, Mr. O’Hagan pushed his advantage. ‘*T am covered with shame at the thought of my baseness,” he went on. ‘ But almost before I realised that you were reposing a confidence in me, the confidence was already mine. Miss Missy, I beg your pardon a thousand times. I cannot undo what is done, but perhaps it may mitigate your distress to be assured that your secret is absolutely safe with me. I shall never reveal it to a human being.” ‘You are very kind,” she said, sorrowfully. ‘But it will never be the same to me again. Nobody knew—not Bob, nor Norah: It was my one fair secret, and the thought of it consoled me when- ever I was sad, or alone. It was my rosy dream, which stood ever, like a tender angel, by my side, and it lulled me to sleep in the night, and brought me joy in the morning ; and now ——” ‘And now,” said Mr. O’Hagan, gently, ‘‘though someone else knows your secret, it is someone who honours it, and would fain be like yourideal. JI.am not such a very bad man, Miss Missy. Don’t you remember, Portia was a barrister, and she redressed a great wrong? We barristers do try to act justly, Iassure you. Won’t you think kindly of me, when your mind is occupied with your sweet secret?” he added, imploringly. “I have a dream too, and an unspoken secret, and when they are present with me, I shall think of you— perpetually.” “You have a dream? What is your dream like, I wonder!” said Missy, wistfully. “My dream!” he answered. “It is of the most beautiful damsel who walks this earth: she is sweeter than Juliet, and nobler than Cordelia, more winning than Rosalind, more charming than Beatrice.” ‘‘She must be impossible,” interrupted Missy, smiling, and amused in spite of herself. ‘‘ Zhe znexpressive She, truly !” Mr. O’Hagan opened his lips to speak, and then checked himself. But he felt convinced that his zxexpressive She was a far likelier possibility than Missy’s beautiful youth. Nay, did she not stand before him, and was he not prepared to slay fifty men who might dare a treachery to her? “Some day I will tell you all about her,” he said, ‘and you shall say whether my secret be fair, and my dream bright. It shall stand or fall by your verdict. And now that I have discovered my hidden longing, will you forgive me ?” ‘Ves, indeed,” she said, readily. She was not resentful. But she did not quite understand Mr. O’Hagan. She knew no longing with respect to the beautiful youth ; she was satisfied he would come, and Gomicbooks (E(@) m