The Argosy — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

56 Mrs. Carr’s Companion. and Rose soon became conscious of the discordant element in their party. Rose especially grew silent, and as the meal proceeded scarcely lifted her eyes from her plate. All Colonel Kane’s efforts could not win him one of the bright looks of an hour ago. Luncheon over, their host proposed a visit to the picture gallery, which he had reserved until then. He led the way thither with Lady Mary. Colonel Kane took great pride in his collection, and proved an able cicerone. ‘What a lovely face!” exclaimed Rose, pausing before a portrait representing a lady of the last century in a hat and riding habit such as Beatrix Esmond or Di Vernon might have worn. ‘She has eyes like yours, Montague.” Colonel Kane smiled. ‘‘ That may well be: she was a Kane—my great-grandfather’s sister. She had a sad history. She was betrothed to a cousin, a certain Ralph Luttrell—there is his portrait. He was concerned in the Jacobite rising ; arrested during his flight to France, and executed for high treason upon the very day that had been fixed for his marriage. Unlike the proverbial good fortune of the house of Austria, the traditions of our family show that the Kanes have not been happy in their matrimonial arrangements. This damsel in the crimson sacque was jilted by her lover, a wild ne’er-do-well who married an heiress instead, and was run through the body for his pains by the brother of his injured fiancée. Gustavus Kane, the handsome cavalier on your right, parted from his newly-made wife at the church door to obey a sudden summons from the king, and the two never met again. He was killed in a skirmish a day or two later and she died, they say, of a broken heart.” ‘“What a tale of horrors! Colonel Kane, you are aaa us all quite melancholy !” remonstrated Lady Mary in a tone half-jesting, half-serious. He smiled and turned to Rose, saying, in-tones whose tenderness he did not seek to disguise: ‘‘Our case is to prove the bright ex- ception!” Then in a whisper intended for her ear alone: ‘‘ Dear Rose, not one of those dead-and-gone Kanes ever won so bonny a bride ! Colonel Kane, like every possessor of the Abbey in succession, had added his quota to its art-treasures. He was anxious to have his guests’ opinion of some recent purchases: two or three charming Meissoniers and a modern chef d’ceuvre which greatly took Olive’s fancy. Presently, when they had walked the length of the well-lined gallery, Olive returned alone for another look at her favourites. She had not yet recovered her usual health or spirits, and feeling quite unequal to further explorations, sank languidly into the recesses of a luxurious couch to enjoy a half-hour of solitude. Her eyes were weary, and could take in no more splendours of upholstery ancient or modern, no more rare china, nor bronzes, nor bric-d-brac. ‘Some CORNIELMOOOKS Conn