The Argosy — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

Winifred Power. 271 apply to a confidential enquiry office ; and within a very short time they thence learnt all that the reader has known before them. That is to say, they were informed that Lady Hatherley, on quitting The Limes, had taken refuge with her uncle, and had, the next day or so, been placed by him in the household of Mr. Graham. As Gertrude’s interview with Dr. Kenyon had taken place but a few hours before the despatch of these particulars, her sudden departure was not included in the information. ‘Therefore: ‘The best thing to be done is to call at Mr. Graham’s and see Lady Hatherley,” suggested Mark. ‘The very best.” And it was so settled. The letter had reached them by the morning’s post; and two o’clock found them at Mr. Graham’s door. “Ts Lady Hatherley in?” asked Mark, of the servant. She stared. ‘‘Nobody of that name here, sir.” Mark and Richard exchanged glances, and the latter bit his lip. An alias, and all the mystery it suggested, would be just like Gertrude’s folly. “This is Mr. Graham’s house, is it not P—Is he at home ?” He was, and they were ushered into the drawing-room, where the maid left them while she went to carry their cards to Mr, Graham. He came quickly—wonderfully so for him—and was accompanied by Dr. Kenyon, under whose gravity, a person knowing him very well might have detected some excitement. “Mr. Dallas?” began Mr. Graham, enquiringly, his glance tra- velling from one to the other of his visitors, as Richard stepped forward. ‘‘ Miss Dallas’s brother, I presume ? ” * Yes. Is my sister in?” “In? She is gone.” Pazorne P”’ ‘She went yesterday. We were very sorry to lose her, my son and I; but she would go. She said she had received bad news and - must return to Paris, I suppose she knows her own affairs best, but the suddenness of her decision annoyed and disturbed my son,” added Mr. Graham, with a slight suspicion of testiness in his accent and manner. ‘‘She suited Ned. There are not many people who do please him, poor lad! and I had been a long time making up my mind to have a stranger in the house. Perhaps she found some- thing to complain of; if so, I wish she had said it. Do you know why she left?” wound up Mr. Graham, suddenly turning to Dick. ‘I think we had better tell all the circumstances. Will you do it, Hatherley?” said the young man. And thus admonished Mark related the whole story, explaining Gertrude’s position, her identity, her wild scare at the inquest, the perfect groundlessness of her fears, and so on, Mr. Graham listening all the while with an irascibility, which was so largely mixed with sympathy for Gertrude, that he could hardly be polite to Mark. According to his views it must be somebody’s fault that such a nice young woman had been wrongfully Cconnicloooks (CO) im