The Argosy — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

Adonas, Q.C. 65 again somet. aes—he took up the thread where he had let it fall, and went on thinking of the Featherstonhaughs. “Don’t like them; out and out Americans they are, and just the type of Americans I don’t care about. The husband does seem a quiet, well-intentioned individual; but as for her—pretty woman enough, but —— Hiulloa! and this is the Featherstonhaugh carriage, if I’m not mistaken; yes.” Here he performed the manual labour of takmg off his hat. ‘“ Thought a drive might do her good,” and he smiled an amused smile to himself; “‘ hope it has. That must be the sister, she spoke about, with her; very beautiful, but hard as a stone, I should say. Wonder who that fellow on the seat opposite was ; I’m sure I know his face, and he looked as if he knew me.” “Well, Oliver, how d’ye do? Going down town, are you? Then we'll go with you, of course.” And Oliver Adonais, Q.C., smiled resignedly as a pair of noisy school-boy cousins took boisterous possession of him, Meanwhile the open barouche, with its C-springs and high-step- ping horses, swept round the corner of the street. The younger of the ladies stifled a yawn. ‘‘ Who was that?” she asked lazily. ‘t Adonais, 0.C.,” replied Mrs. Featherstonhaugh. She opened her languid eyes slightly. ‘ Who?” The dark-complexioned man sitting opposite, answered her this time. ‘ Oliver Adonais, Q.C.” “ Adonais ! What a strange name!” He leaned back in hisseat. ‘‘A good name; they are the oldest: family in Loamshire ; and there’s another branch in the north of England. I have heard there are Adonaises in Ireland, but ———” She moved impatiently. ‘‘Oh, if you please—enough. The very best of you English aristocrats, if one sets you off once on the subject of pedigree, there’s absolutely no stopping you.” He laughed. ‘“ The pedigree of Oliver Adonais might be physio- logically interesting: he has no heart.” Gabrielle Ryan smiled a little sarcastically. ‘*No heart! But neither have a good many other people. Neither have I, for instance.” The bold blue eyes opposite studied her calmly. ‘Possibly not ; sometimes I think I have none myself. But pardon me, Gabrielle ; I wasn’t talking of such as you and I: few people would suspect us of having hearts ; we don’t look like it. The strange and wonderful thing is, to know that a genial, amiable, happy-go-lucky individual like Adonais—and Oliver Adonais is all that—the strange and won- derful thing is, that verily and indeed he—has—no—heart.” __ Miss Ryan coloured slightly. “In the first place, your politeness excels itself to-day,” she returned. ‘‘ And, secondly, how can you answer for Mr. Adonais’s want of heart? How should you know anything about it ?” His eyes flashed mischievously. “TI will tell you. Ten years ago VOL, XXXVII. F Gomichboo s) (E(@) m