The Argosy — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. I7I ‘‘ Well then, sir, this is supposed to be your own particular smoking- room now; Is it not?” ‘‘ As there is nobody else in the house who smokes, I suppose it “Exactly, sir. Well, Master Godfrey, this new young lady, Mrs. Mayne’s daughter, comes —— ”’ ‘What, does she smoke here?” asked Godfrey lightly, pleased at an opportunity of teasing the old man, and turning lazily round with his back against the side of the window to watch its effect. ‘No, sir,” said Hawkins, annoyed. ‘At least, I don’t know what these foreign ladies may do in their own rooms; but that is not my affair. I should not trouble you except about what I know.” Haw- kins made a mighty pause. ‘Then, turning solemnly and pointing to the other end of the room, he added: ** Took there, sir!” And Godfrey saw, on the top of .a small table and on a couple of boxes that stood against the wall, some sheets of newspaper spread out, on which lay moss, and lichen-covered sticks and grasses, evi- dently placed there to dry. : Well?” said he. * Well, Master Godfrey, that’s the sort of rubbish the young lady brings in to litter up the place with. Of course it’s not my place to speak to her. But you might speak yourself, sir; and you must, I reckon, if your room is to be kept from being turned into a dust- heap and a home for idiots ——” ‘* Hawkins!” “Well, Master Godfrey, and he zs an idiot ; not much removed from it, anyway. It’s Dick Wilding, I speak of, sir. The young lady has gone and made friends with him ; they are as thick as can be; and he gives her weeds and grasses and such like rubbish over the wall, and he came to the very door here this morning with his hands chock-full of ’em, which she immediately began to spread about the place. If that born-natural is to be allowed to come roving into the room here when he likes, I won’t answer for—for anything.” *‘ Miss Dixon’s sticks and straws don’t interfere with me at all, Hawkins, or with you either,” said Godfrey, carelessly. ‘‘ What on earth does it matter if there are two idiots about the place instead of one ?” Unluckily, one of the persons referred to stood at his elbow. Miss Dixon’s voice startled them both ; and the unhappy Hawkins, with an exclamation of horror and a muttered apology, backed away from the room. Godfrey put out his cigar. She was carrying a cup of coffee, which she held out to Godfrey deprecatingly. **T have brought you your coffee. I did knock, but I don’t think you heard.” “I am very much obliged to you,” said he, with stiff awkwardness. “Mrs. Mayne should not have troubled you.” iS. CONNIE OO KS (E) m