The Argosy — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. IQI may, I trust you will believe that in my old, sober senses I could no more have been guilty of it than—than my father could.” He was not acting now. In theutter repentance, the shame which her words had awakened in him, he absolutely seemed to doubt his own identity ; to think it impossible that he, a gentleman, with all a gentleman’s instincts, could have done this. He was slowly turning away from her to leave the room, when she stopped him. “No, please stay one moment,” cried she, taking his hand, her voice sweet and winning again. “ After all, it was partly my own fault that you formed a bad opinion of me—of us. I know you over- heard a conversation which I afterwards tried to account for rather clumsily ; by telling you something that was only partly true.” “That does not excuse me,” put in Godfrey. “It does partly, I think. Falsehoods, found out, must always breed suspicion. Besides, your doubts were not without reason. ‘There zs something my mother and I wish to conceal. It does not concern you or your father in the remotest way, and you will never find it out. As for your hunting for some traces of our life in Norfolk ——” “Do you not see how miserable you are making me?” broke out Godfrey, in impatient pain. But she continued, without mercy. ‘It will always be useless as far as I am concerned, for the reason that I never was there. I was born in London and left there ; it was before my father and mother settled in Norfolk,” she added, aftera moment’s pause. ‘“ Let me ask you just this one thing. If, in spite of yourself, your suspicions should ever be roused again concerning either or both of us ——” ** Miss Dixon!” “You may not be able to help it. A secret, however unimportant, is always suspicious. , I repeat then, if you should ever doubt the integrity of either of us towards your family, do not hastily mentior your own doubts to your father.” “I see. Of course you will never believe now that I can possess any of the feelings of a gentleman,” said Godfrey, deeply wounded, but with pride in his tone. She raised her head and looked straight up into his face with per- fectly grave, frank eyes. ‘Please don’t think I am so silly. I have never doubted that fora moment. I was going to say : however serious your doubts may grow, spare my mother as long as you can. She has had very great troubles, and,” Miss Dixon’s face grew soft and her voice tender, “I want her to keep to the end— if that should be possible—the happiness she has found so late. She is the most devoted woman I have ever known, she has grown fond of your father, she makes him a good wife. Just think of what I say, if ever any allusion to her past troubles should rouse your suspicions again, I think—T think that is all.” She released his hand, seeming ty. then to become aware that she had been holding it. She was very quiet outwardly, but it was easy Eomichbooks.co m