The Argosy — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

96 The White Witch. ‘Oh, no.” , ‘‘ But you said something else that was unkind about me?” ‘No, no, no; indeed I didn’t!” “ Nothing unkind at all? You did not say, for instance, that I was a bore, and that you were thankful never to have to listen any more to my dull and tedious talk ?” Elspeth looked full at him, her eyes and mouth round with astonishment. A tinge of pink colour had come back to her cheeks ; under her garden hat her face looked lovely. “‘Oh, no, I never thought of such a thing! Who has been telling you such stories P” “Tt does not matter; if you are quite sure they are stories.” ‘Yes, they are indeed. Howcan you think I should be so un- grateful, when you were so kind, and I enjoyed myself so much !” ‘Did you enjoy yourself, then ? ” “Oh, yes, until I got frightened. More than I ever enjoyed myself in my life, I think.” “Tam very glad of that. I—I enjoyed myself too,” in a lower voice, ‘But you always can when you like. Your amusements don’t de- pend, as mine do, on whether papa can find a sermon and a text to fit each other, as Matilda says. Your pleasure depends on yourself.” She was twisting her foot about in the grass impatiently. ‘The little show of petulance became her. Godfrey laid his hand on the railing, close to hers. He wanted the pretty blue eyes to look up and meet his again. ‘No, it doesn’t. My pleasure depends on “On what?” She did look up, bright-eyed, innocent, wholly happy again, charmed and fluttered by the turn the talk had taken. * On—on you.” His hand had closed on hers and he had kissed her, just as Mrs, Thornhill came up to them from the house. She looked aghast for a moment, then her face cleared as she glanced at happy, blushing Elspeth, and she gave Godfrey her hand cordially. ‘“Mr. Godfrey, this has made me very happy.” ‘*T was coming in presently to—to see the Vicar.” What did a lie more or less matter now? He was in for it, and the less he said about tke unforeseen nature of the blow which had fallen on him the better. For he repented the act assoon as he had committed it. ‘‘She and my step-mother have been too many for me,” thought poor Godfrey. ‘‘ Anyway, Elspeth is not to blame, and she shan’t suffer. I must do the suffering.” The interview with Mr. Thornhill was satisfactory. He said they were both very young, and matrimony was not a thing to be rushed into. This sentiment had the ardent wooer’s cordial approbation. The Vicar added that he did not expect every man to be as deliber- PP Eomichooks (E(@)