The Argosy — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

mer ARGOS YY. APRIL, 1884. ———— fees WHEE. WLICH. ee CHAPTER xX. _ DOUBTS AND MYSTERY. M RS. MAYNE sat at the Abbey breakfast-table, pouring out the coffee as usual and handing the cups around. Her fainting- fit of the previous evening did not appear to have affected her. Mr. Mayne had unhesitatingly accepted Mary Dixon’s assertion of its cause—over-fatigue from walking too much after dinner. Godfrey doubted. To him the cause had looked more like a spasm of sudden terror. Circumstances were rendering Godfrey Mayne what he had never been in his life—suspicious and watchful. The topic of con- versation at the moment had been gambling, and then his father had spoken of Sir William Hunt: and Godfrey naturally asked himself whether either the topic or the name had brought terror to his step- mother ; and, if so, why. Turning to his father now, he enquired whether it was true that Sir William Hunt had returned. Ves,” replied Mr. Mayne. ‘‘ Wilding told me so last night.” “Who is Sir William Hunt, mamma?” asked Mary in a low tone. **T do not know, dear ; I don’t think I have seen him,” answered Mrs. Mayne, quietly. But Godfrey wished he could see her hands, whose tell-tale restlessness always betrayed when she was at all agitated. “You will see him soon,” said Mr. Mayne to his wife. ‘ He always comes over here the first thing, without waiting for the ceremony of my calling first on him. We are very old friends, Laura. And he will come all the quicker, now that the Abbey has ladies in it.” Mrs. Mayne glanced hurriedly at her daughter; but the latter was helping herself to another egg, and did not appear to notice. Atthat moment Mary caught Godfrey’s eye: he concluded that she thought she was being watched. “Where does this Sir William Hunt live, sir, and why is it that we VOL. XXXVI. R (EAMG! OKO KS (E(0) m