The Argosy — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 351 ‘Yes. There was a wicked gnat buzzing about my room, for one thing,” said he, uncomfortably. ** Gnats are very troublesome.” Then came a pause. Godfrey, who had no appetite, was laying down his knife and fork. ‘Is Mrs. Mayne not down yet?” he asked. “ Not yet. Mamma has had some breakfast taken up to her.” Another pause. Godfrey wanted to come easily and neatly to the subject of that unlucky intrusion of his, and to put the matter right, once and for ever. He supposed she might still be thinking hard things of him for it, perhaps to the extent of believing him to be no gentleman. So he wished to come to an explanation ; a thing which men, in their right mind, usually avoid: especially, perhaps, if they know they are not in the wrong. At all events the conversation must be kept up somehow. He went back to the gnat. But he did not find that help him much. Presently she got up and walked to the window. Godfrey followed. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for—for last night,” he said. “You must have thought me very—very unconventional, and—and I haven’t the least idea what I said; but, if it was anything rude or— or foolish, I hope you will forget it. One says very foolish things sometimes.” “ One does often.” | “Very foolish. At least not exactly foolish, perhaps, but—— ” “But untrue. Don’t trouble yourself any more about the matter, Mr. Godfrey. There were gnats in my room, too, and—and let them bear the blame of everything.” “Oh, yes, exactly; of everything. Only—I can’t bear to think you are unhappy here; or that anything I may have said—ever— should have made you cry.” “Oh, it was not you at all,” said she, quickly. ‘‘I assure you it had nothing to do with you, nothing whatever.” And into these words Miss Dixon managed clearly to insinuate the meaning :—‘“‘ Nothing you could do or say could ever fail to bea matter of indifference to me?” There the conversation ended, and Godfrey left her without quite knowing what feeling was uppermost in his mind ; but it was certainly not brotherly. By-and-by he began to take himself to task ; to realise how wrongly he had been acting in allowing himself to be carried so far away from his allegiance to Elspeth. He would go across to the Vicarage this morning, and atone by new devotion for his secret infidelity. Passing through the gate to cross the meadow, he saw Mary walk- _ ing inthe garden. Instinctively he hesitated for a moment and then went straight on to the meadow, with a feeling that he was doing something heroic in avoiding her. As he turned to shut the gate he saw Ernest Underwood come up to the house, and instantly regretted his own heroism. He turned round again and saw that they had met, EONNIE OO KS (E() m