The Argosy — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

Winifred Power. | " ‘And I must disobey you, father,” and Mark rapidly quitted the room. Gertrude was very much surprised to see him, as was Mrs. Burton. That little lady, indeed, underwent agonies of curiosity when Mark asked to speak alone with her guest ; and as she reluctantly gathered together her work, and retired to disturb Mr. Burton’s after-dinner nap in his own peculiar sanctum, the wildest hypotheses trotted in a mazy circle through her small, romantic brain. “Ts anything the matter? Sir John is unwell perhaps?” began Gertrude, and became aware of a curious throb, half-fear, haif-relief, as she asked the question. ‘To be anything less than Lady Hatherley would be a bitter disappointment; all the same, she looked forward to the morrow with a sinking heart. “My father is quite well,” answered the young man. He had declined the offer of a chair, and stood leaning against the chimney- piece and looking down upon her as she sat with the light from the lamp falling on her graceful head. She looked very young and pretty this evening ; and her mental agitation had given her an air of gentle- ness that was rare in her. A new pity succeeded in Mark to the slightly scornful indifference with which he had regarded her, since knowing that she was to be his father’s wife. ‘“‘ T have come, impelled by a sense of duty to a task very reluctantly and tardily undertaken,” he began. ‘‘ For the last ten days or so I have received frequent hints that my father’s affairs are going badly. The hints were of such a nature that I did not consider it necessary to attach any importance to them. Doubtless my hesitation was un- consciously helped by a natural unwillingness to believe them. But to-day I received a warning of a much more serious sort ; one which, if true, would point to an impending grave change in my father’s circumstances.” ‘He has lost money ?” asked Gertrude, quickly. ‘At any rate, he seems likely to do so.” She drew a long breath of bitterness. Had she been trapped? Was this the cause of Sir John’s apparent avarice? How could she have been so blind? Humiliation at her own short-sightedness was, perhaps, the strongest of all the feelings roused within her. ‘Please tell me everything,” she said, and clasped her hands tightly in the effort to be calm. | Mark related all that he knew; the reports about the Aztec Mine Company, the anonymous letters, the sums owing to the tradespeople, and his own interview with his father. ““Except the business of the Mine, you have told me nothing very definite,” Gertrude remarked, as he ended. ““T have told you all I know,” he answered, coldly, his momentary softness of feeling towards her already changing at her hard and mercenary manner. - She sat lost in meditation. If only this news had come to her a GOnlGaooks (CO)