The Argosy — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

190 The White Wiich. unexpected fire, as she turned her face and her flashing eyes upon him, ‘*T__T don’t understand,” said Godfrey, taken aback. ‘T think you do;I think you must. Believe me, I should not excuse so sweetly your conduct at dinner had I not made allowance for your annoyance at having wasted so much of your time in a fruit- less search.” Godfrey had got back his self-command, and was looking at her with a very natural air of amazement. He thought this was only a stratagem to find out where he had been, for he had taken care that the two letters he had sent to his father while in Norfolk should not bear the Norfolk post-mark. Still, she had made a.very shrewd guess. ‘T beg your pardon, but I—what search, Miss Dixon ?” ‘Your search down in Norfolk.” He started in spite of himself, ever so slightly, but perceptibly to the keen eyes watching him, ‘Norfolk? what on earth should take me to Norfolk ?” © Shall I tell you?” * Do, please.” ‘You went there—having heard my mother refer to it as the county in which some years of her life with her first husband were passed— to try to find out more about us than she had thought proper to tell you. You had got it into your head that there was something in the past history of one or both of us that we were concealing, and that you were anxious to discover. It was not enough for you that your father was satisfied with the account of herself given by the lady he married, or that I, her daughter, so far from forcing myself upon your household, had come in the first instance against my will. That little fact, whatever it-might be, which you imagined we did not wish you to know, acquired such fascination for you that it made you forget the claims of chivalry and hospitality, and sent you roaming about the country on a wild search for some proofs of some- thing or other that would enable you to crush two defenceless women,” She had changed her position from leaning back to leaning forward, during this speech, but she sat very quietly, with one hand clasping tizhtly the arm of herchair. Her voice did not rise high; butitslow, ~— fu'l tones impressed him none theless. He stood before her, ashamed and silent, when she paused. When at last he did speak, he could not command his voice; it was harsh and broken. | ‘Miss Dixon,” he said, ‘I think I have been mad. I hope you will think so, for then you may perhaps forgive me, as you would forgive Dick. I cannot understand myself; or what it is that has been the matter withme. For the last few weeks I have been haunted by a sort of fever attacking me in all sorts of ways. Itis true. If you cannot forget my odious conduct at once, as I hope to heaven you Eomichooks.¢co