The Argosy — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

Adonas, Q.C. €7 ‘ What else? I will present you with a pair of gloves.” “Very well: it is a bet. I shall accept them, but on condition that you own yourself mistaken, and more than that—humiliated.” He laughed again. ‘To the dust, Miss Gabrielle,” and a gleam of open admiration came into his bold eyes, as they rested on the pale, scornful, most lovely face opposite to him. Mrs. Featherstonhaugh, who had listened to the-conversation in surprise, flushed angrily. ‘Mr. Vaughan,” she said, ‘‘ as Gabrielle’s future husband, how can you for a moment encourage anything so unprincipled and cruel?” He leaned forward, and arranged the thin rug carefully over her. “My dear lady,” he laughed, “pray don’t excite yourself—you forget that thereby hangs the whole kernel of the dispute. I hold that Adonais has no heart; if this be so, where is the cruelty ?” ‘And Gabrielle has really your sanction to do this?” “Gabrielle and I understand each other perfectly. Do we not, Gabrielle ? ” ‘t Why, Claire, it is only for a little amusement,” said the young lady. Mrs. Featherstonhaugh stifled a sigh. ‘‘ A little amusement! And what about the cost?” Roland Vaughan crossed his arms, and looked at her. ‘‘ The cost of Gabrielle’s humiliation ? ” Gabrielle drew herself up. ‘‘ At the cost of yours, you mean,” she returned ; ‘‘and a pair of gloves.” ** Ah, no,” he said, for something in the word as applied to himself displeased him. ‘‘ Wecan leave humiliation out of the question, then. No; all for a pair of gloves, Gabrielle.” And he held his ows sud- denly in the air as the carriage drew up at the door-way. She hesitated, and laughed. ‘‘ Very well; all for a pair of gloves.” EI ** QUEER thing altogether ; queer of Vaughan to callonme. We were college friends, it’s true ; but—-—after so many years!” Mr. Adonais, as he speaks, is in evening dress, with the street lamps flickering in on him through the rair-bespattered windows, and the wheels of his hansom rattling a noisy accompaniment. His well- cut face wears an expression half-puzzled, half-vexed, and he leans back on the dusty cushions and gives himself up to his musings. ‘And I had made up my mind to have nothing more to do with the Featherstonhaughs. ‘They may be very nice, of course ; but the thing is, I don’t like them; nor the people one meets there. Roland Vaughan is certainly not a fool, like most of their male acquaintances, but he is hardly the man a steady-going fellow can have much in common with: now at least. At college it was different.” And Adonais laughed softly ; and his thoughts swept back through _a dozen years or so of hard work, physical and mental, and he fancied EONNIE OOS €o