The Argosy — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

Winifred Power. 257 ‘‘T wish he would go!” thought Winifred, and stood like a statue of Psyche. But Dick lingered. At last, when the silence was becoming oppressive, he abruptly said: ‘‘I am not capable of sus- tained action, Winifred ; but I might put on a spurt of heroism perhaps. I promise you that if, within the next few days, I get the chance of distinguishing myself, I will not neglect it.” Then, before she could speak, he ran downstairs, and she heard the great porte- cochere close behind him. Dolly and Winifred occupied one of the two sole bed-rooms in their tiny apartment: and the hour of the twenty-four to which the latter looked forward with amused pleasure or patient dread (according as she was preoccupied or the reverse) was the time of undressing, during which Dolly incessantly chattered. Her mind was small, but acute, compact and clear-cut as the facets of a crystal. Winifred and she had not a thought or a feeling in common ; but they got on admirably together, the one being too noble and the other too insouciante to quarrel. Moreover Winifred, touched by Dolly’s energy, half-un- consciously rewarded it by indulging the minute creole propensities towards ease which here and there streaked the little thing’s activity. One of these forms of petting was a nightly brushing of Dolly’s curly locks. During this operation the stream of conversation was generally at fullest flow; but to-night Dolly sat almost quite silent, and did not even betray the usual little quiver of profound delight which Winifred had long ago noticed in her, and laughingly described as ‘‘a latent purr.” She herself, on this occasion, was not more dis- posed to talk than her companion, for she had an uneasy suspicion that Dolly was thinking of Dick. But all at once the two girls’ eyes met in the glass, and the ice was broken. ‘Winifred, I am not plain, do you think ? ” ** Conceited child! Are you fishing for superfluous compliments?” “Nor stupid ?” ** By no means.” “Nor a bore ?” “Will you be satisfied when I have told you that you are irresistible? ” ‘Don’t laugh,” said Dolly, with serious candour. ‘I am quite in earnest. I am following out a train of thought.” This is very often a stupendous operation, but she announced it with the evident conviction that no mental achievement could be considered beyond her. ** By all means ; let me have the result.” “You are handsome, I know,” resumed Dolly, glancing com- placently down her own mignonne form. ‘And you talk about a number of things that it is the fashion to call clever. But, I own, 1 am sometimes afraid you will be a failure, though rather a grand one. But even so, it would be a pity to waste your gifts conniclooolks (C(O) im