The Argosy — page 368: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 345 ‘With my will, or against my will, I kept fitting things together in my mind,” he returned, “until I was tortured just to death. Then I said to myself, I am very foolish, I know, but I will tell it all to Mary Dixon, and that will ease me. What else could I have done?” “‘ What else?” retorted she, passionately: ‘“‘ Call in a policeman and give me into custody. Say to him that you have heard of a murder committed by a good-looking girl in Rome—it was Rome, I think you said ?—and that you consider me good-looking ; that you are sure I have been to Rome, and that you will fit the crime to the girl or the girl to the crime in no time. Don’t interrupt me. Believe me, I understand your feelings perfectly. Why, I had fancied I might be doing something rather rash in staying here téte-a-téte with you when it’s going on for midnight ; but now it is your courage in facing me, with no arms of defence about you, that I cannot sufficiently admire. Why do you encounter so frightful a risk? How do you know but I may have a dagger concealed in my pocket ?” He could not tell whether she was cold, or at a white heat of excitement: she was trembling. Her fair features were white and rigid as marble; in her rich brown eyes, gazing at him through their long dark lashes, there lay an angry yet most pitiful light. ‘You are doing me cruel injustice, Miss Dixon,” he said at last, very quietly. ‘‘I cannot force your confidence, I cannot make you believe I deserve it. I am sorry to have forced upon you this painful interview ; it was a mad thing to do, and I don’t know how to undo it. I will not detain you any longer. Perhaps later I may think of some form of apology to you; I cannot now.” Godfrey passed his hand over his forehead, as if unable to collect his thoughts. Then he said, still in the same subdued voice, “ My presence, after this scene to-night, could not fail to be distasteful to you; but you have nothing to fear from that; I shall quit the Abbey.” It was a sudden resolution; taken on the spur of the moment: but he felt that to remain at home would be unbearable after this. Again there came the sound that he thought he had before heard, and he turned his head. Mary stood in thought. “Mr. Godfrey, it is my turn to beg now. I know—I feel that when you leave me I shall be ashamed and sorry for all the hard and harsh things I have just now spoken. I have been very rude, I am afraid; I hardly know what I said—I was so miserable, so much hurt—” Her voice trembled, and she paused. ‘“ But I know I must have been unpardonably harsh for you to speak of my chasing you from your home.—What is it that you are looking at?” she broke off to question ; for Godfrey still had his head turned. ‘I fancied I heard a faint noise, as of someone being there.” She turned her face—startled. ‘In the gallery—behind us ?” ‘* No, in the old school-room. I dare say I was mistaken.” VOL, XXXVII. Z EONNIE MOO KS (EO) m