The Argosy — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. IOI knowing what he did. He hardly knew what it was he saw. She looked as much like a ghostly witch as anything. But some soft gentle words from her arrested him. “T beg your pardon. Iam Mary Dixon.” He held out his hand with some confused apology. Her touch gave him another shock; it was quite cold on his hot fingers. She seemed frightened herself. Godfrey rang the bell, consigned the terrified children to a servant, and stayed talking with Miss Dixon about her journey, her arrival and the storm, until his step-mother re-entered the room. He had had time to notice that the white dress, which had made the slight, pale, delicate stranger look so ghastly in the blue lightning-glare, was only a dressing-gown of Mrs. Mayne’s, put on because her daughter’s travelling-dress had got wet. He was utterly ashamed of the fright her first appearance had given him, but when he got to his room to dress for dinner he found that his hands were shaking, that his face was still white and wet. “Confound the girl!” said he. ‘‘She has made a fool of me. Seems rather bad luck, though, for her arrival here to have been. inaugurated by this awful thunder-storm !” CHAPTER VI. MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. Durinc the first week of Miss Dixon’s stay at the Abbey, Godfrey. did not find her improve on acquaintance. She was distant with him, unsociable, in manner almost repellant. Purposely so, he thought. At the week’s end, something happened which turned the balance in -his mind entirely against her. She occupied the chamber which, in the old days when there were children about the Abbey, had been given to the governess. Godfrey thought a more appropriate room for the grave, well-informed, silent young lady could not have been found ; but he soon changed his opinion, This room opened by one door into the corridor, but by another into the old school-room ; which Godfrey used as his smok- ing-room. Mr. Mayne, finding that his step-daughter liked solitude, as became a person of her studious habits, suggested that the school- room should be given up to her as a sitting-room. His wife rather ostensibly pointed out that Godfrey used it; but Mr. Mayne said Godfrey could have the old refectory downstairs to smoke in. And so it was decided. ‘This would remove Godfrey altogether from that part of the upper floor ; he would now have no special business there ; his own chamber being at the very opposite end of the long corridor. But, despite Mrs. Mayne’s ostensible protest, Godfrey had a suspicion that it was she who had suggested it to his father—and he did not like it. ** Smoke in the refectory!” he grumbled mentally. ‘He should not smoke in the refectory; a large, bare, desolate, draughty place VOL, XXXVII. H CORNICE OOKS (E(©) m