The Argosy — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

176 The White Witch. attitude towards him, at her making the confession to him of what she had so carefully kept secret, at the curious (almost guilty) confusion she had shown atter relating it. And after wonder came, like a flash of fire—suspicion ! The conviction grew upon Godfrey that he had been tricked ; shamefully tricked: that this girl, having somehow learnt that he had had his suspicions awakened, or having perhaps caught sight of him standing there where he had thought himself so well concealed, had had the audacity to work upon his feelings by declaring her own life to be in danger, in order to put him off the scent of the real secret. A thought flashed across him as he stared out into the gathering blackness of night in the plantation. He closed the window, crossed the room and the hall, and knocked softly at the door of the library. “Come in,” said Mr. Mayne. CHAP TEAR ~ Mia IN SEARCH OF EVIDENCE. Mr. MAyNne sat at the library table with a newspaper. The walls were lined with dull-looking volumes, which everybody was wise enough not to take down to read. He looked pleased to see his son come in: Godfrey had not of late given him much of his company. The young man sat down, and began talking of indifferent things. He wanted to lead up to a certain question, but not to put it abruptly. Mr. Mayne, however, saved him the trouble. ‘* How do you and Elspeth get on?” asked he. “ Oh—very well,” replied Godfrey, carelessly. “T saw her this afternoon: I called to speak to Thornhill about hat man who Is giving trouble, and stayed with him till dinner time ; I heard the dressing-bell as I was coming across the meadow. By the way, Godfrey, what were you—oh, well, never mind.” ‘‘T wonder I didn’t see you,” said Godfrey, without appearing to notice his father’s interrupted question. ‘‘ I was in the garden myself just before dinner.” “Yes, I saw you,” said Mr. Mayne; and then stopped again. “TI was nailing up a rose-tree near the drawing-room window,” went on Godfrey composedly. “Nailing up a rose-tree!” exclaimed Mr. Mayne. Then, as if further self-restraint was impossible: ‘‘ Well you have the queerest way of going to work I ever saw! You were trampling the flowers under your feet, and you stood with your head bent against the wall, exactly as if you were listening to something that was going on inside. I did not observe that you had a hammer in your hands. It is true I was not quite close, but still my eyesight is not failing yet, and I never saw anyone look so absurd.” “No doubt I did,” quietly acquiesced Godfrey. Eomichooks.co m