The Argosy — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 95 from the hay-field, saunter leisurely in that direction and join the group of figures there. She had risen from her seat and watched him from behind the blind, her fingers tapping nervously on the window-sill, until he disappeared. - When Godfrey approached the enclosure where Matilda, Elspeth, Annette and Arthur were playing lawn-tennis, the first impulse of at least two of the party had evidently been flight. But Matilda pre- served a show of decency by telling them to go on playing, and, with a rather strained smile, went to the railing to speak to him. Elspeth slowly followed and shook hands with an uncomfortable blush. The unabashed Godfrey accepted readily the half-invitation Matilda felt bound to make, vaulted over the railing, and talked to the girls. Pre- sently a maid came from the house calling to Matilda that her mamma wanted her, and Godfrey was left téte-a-téte with Elspeth. The two young ones, with an inspiration that they would find it more amusing to watch Elspeth and Mr. Godfrey from behind trees than to stay and share in the conversation, ran off at once. The talk suddenly flagged. Even if a man is not deeply attached to a girl, the feeling that, although by no fault of his own, she has been in trouble on his account, can scarcely fail to rouse a passing interest inhis mind. And when he can see the traces of that trouble in fair cheeks a little paler, blue eyes a little heavier, the interest may spring up for the moment into something very keen indeed. “‘T am afraid you got over-tired yesterday. You look pale,” said he, after a short pause. The colour flushed into her face. She hoped he did not guess that she had been crying about him. “Yes, I was rather tired,” said she, smiling nervously, without look- ing pleased. “It was not my fault, you know,” he said, trying to look into her eyes, which she kept down. ‘‘I kept wanting you to sit down and rest, did I not? But you would walk about % “Don’t talk about it, please,” said she, looking up at last, her lips quivering. ‘You don’t know how angry papa was because we .were so late, and—and because we enjoyed ourselves so much. He says ' We go out too often, and we must not think so much about enjoying ourselves, and that we are never to go out without mamma again.” *“ But he doesn’t mean that. Next month we are going to see a polo match at Keighley, and he will let you go to it with us.” “Oh, no, I am sure he will not: you don’t know what he said. He will never let us go out with Mrs. Mayne again; hesaid so. Hesaid that you and she *s “Well, what did he say about her and me?” **T mean as “Well? Something unkind, I suppose.” Not exactly unkind, but is “And did you say it too?” EONNICLIIOO KS ,€O) m