The Argosy — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

70 Adorizis, O.C. Adonais—listening to the splutter of rain on the window outside, as opposed to the pleasant-toned talk of the guests, and the soft rustle of the ladies’ dresses, as they swept through the hall—made up his mind that, after all, dinners at the Featherstonhaughs were not bad things ; and that it was just as well he accepted the invitation Vaughan had brought to him. When they were seated, Gabrielle Ryan turned to him. ‘Speaking of Mr. Vaughan’s borough—has he any chance of getting in again, do you think ?” Adonais evaded the question. ‘ The General Election is at hand and—vVaughan’s eyes are upon us,” She smiled slightly. ‘But seriously, Mr. Adonais—has he any chance ?” He bent his head over his plate. ‘Seriously, Miss Ryan, I cannot say. One hears such conflicting reports about things that it is not safe to believe any of them.” The diamonds round her beautiful neck flashed in the lamp light. ‘That is true,” she answered, thoughtfully. ‘One does hear con- flicting reports about things; and about people.” Adonais looked down at her. ‘People exaggerate about things, and about other people,” he said ; ‘some the good, some theevil. It is that which causes the confliction.” Gabrielle turned, and raised her steady, long-lashed eyes to his. “T do not know. What can you think of this? It is a case in point. At the same place, at the same hour, I heard: first, Mr. Adonais, that you had no heart; and again, that yours was the truest heart in England.” Adonais, man of the world though he was, was taken by surprise. The colour deepened on his forehead ; for once in his life he racked his brains in vain to find a suitable answer. After a minute, he laughed. ‘‘ Well, Miss Ryan,” he said, slowly, ‘‘ that is, as you say, an example of what I was telling you ; some have exaggerated the good, and some the bad.” Then, with a short, quiet clearance of the throat, which acted as a full stop to that part of the conversation, ‘‘ May I pass you the salt?” he added, rather coldly.. For, to tell the truth, besides being surprised, he was just a little disappointed and shocked that a pretty, well-bred woman should have done anything so singular and startling as to repeat these personalities to him. Startling—that was just it. Like many another man, he hated to be startled. It was disappointing, and puzzling. He answered a question from his opposite neighbours with rather unnecessary minute- ness ; then suddenly put a query in turn, the answer to which he cer- tainly did not care to know. For the puzzled feeling gathered over him. He began to ask himself, and by-and-by he could do nothing but ask himself, what was the meaning of Gabrielle Ryan’s having said what she did say. What had she meant? and how should he, Adonais, receive it? This stately, dark-eyed beauty, was no ingenuous Eomicbooks.co