The Argosy — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

Winfred Power, 15 Gib Ao Pole Re oX I. THE SECRET DRAWER. ELMSLEIGH called reluctantly on the bride—but it called. One or two recent acts of munificence on Sir John’s part, combined with the payment of some of the bills, had rather stilled the vague rumours against him; and the announcement of an impending series of magnificent dinner parties did the rest. ‘“‘I engaged a cordon bleu when I was in Paris: he will be over shortly,” said the knight care- lessly to Mrs. Burton, who went about telling everybody. “ They are to be more like banquets,” she added, to the world. ‘Dear Sir John has lately been grieved about so many things, hat he has only given récherché little dinners of twelve covers. But these coming entertainments are not to consist of less than twenty- four, and all the beautiful plate is to be brought down from London.” Sir John had formerly been very profuse in the exhibition of this beautiful plate; but about a year previously, when there had been a ‘‘ burglar scare,” he had sent the more massive articles to the safe keeping of his bankers. Elmsleigh thought it would be a pity to find itself shut out from the dinners, even though the new Lady Hatherley was to preside at them. Consequently, it called. And Gertrude then had it entirely in her own power to turn the tide of public feeling in her favour. A beautiful young woman, exquisitely dressed, and surrounded with everything that wealth can give, is more easily snubbed in theory than in practice. The most uncompromising matrons of Elmsleigh felt the frozen geniality within them thaw when they crossed the threshold of the splendid drawing-room, where their foot-falls died away upon costly carpets, and their senses reeled amid the fragrance of hothouse plants. The smallest sign of graciousness then on the part of Gertrude would have completed their surrender. But she was singularly haughty, silent, cold. She hated her new life, and not less so tle people around her, and was full of the bitterness of revolt. She had ex- pected to get the upper hand of everybody, beginning with her husband. Instead of that, she could find nothing to dominate. In some indescribable way, everything around her seemed to have a mocking unreality. Partly it might be the disenchantment of her first married days that had done this; but chiefly it was caused by the strange inscrutability of Sir John. He cast upon her something of the spell of paralysed fascination which years before he had thrown upon his sister. But while Mary, frightened, submitted, Gertrude inwardly rebelled. ‘The days went on. Gertrude grew pale, nervous, miserable. She had no friends, and tried to make none. Mark, who might have been of some help to her, was now almost constantly away. He had taken lodgings in London and only came down to CONnnICOOOKS.E@