The Argosy — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

"2 Adonais, Q.C. “Ah! By the way, what sort of flowers have you in Florida? That might come in so usefully.” “In Florida,” she repeated mechanically : and for one instant there was a beautiful look in her eyes which neither Adonais, nor his heart, nor the flowers brought there. ‘‘ Yes, Florida is a lovely place. Oh, and the flowers ?— there are many flowers. I remember one, long-shaped and blue as a Florida sky. It grew by thousands about the banks of_ the river at the foot of our garden ; and in the summer evenings my sisters and I used to stray up and down, and sit amongst it, to revel in the sweetness of its perfume. Mr. Adonais, have you ever been in Florida ? ” ‘* No,” he answered, and his eyes rested very kindly on the girl’s pale face, its ever-varying expression struggling betwixt victory and defeat, as she strove to regain the mastery over herself. ‘‘ But that was a charming little bit of description. I wish you would tell me more about it.” So the dinner passed on. Many voices talked and laughed ; attendants’ footsteps hurried softly to and fro; the glasses and the plates chinked ; and the flowers drooped just a little in the heat and light; and Gabrielle spoke, and Adonais listened. When Mrs. Featherstonhaugh rose, Adonais would fain have gone on listening ; for Gabrielle had spoken as she seldom did—from her heart. She was away among the orange groves and the citrons, the sweet memories of the past. She had forgotten all about Adonais’ heart, and the pair of gloves; almost about Adonais himself. He smiled more than once, over his wine and walnuts, at the thought of what she had revealed to him about that heart of his. So this was what the world said of him! Well—was it true, any part of it? Had he no heart? Had he the truest heart in England? Roland Vaughan asked his opinion on some political question, and he gave it, and cracked another walnut ; and went on with what he was thinking about. Had he the truest heart in England? Of course Adonais did not ask himself such a question seriously ; but he found it pleasant to wonder in a half-joking, half- dreamy way; and to go over his own surprise again in his mind ; his surprise when Gabrielle said the words, and looked so fixedly and steadily out of her grave dark eyes into the depths of his. He did not quite understand what she was thinking of; what she had meant by coming out so flatly with it all. But he did not wonder very long about that: the laughter so soon welled-up at the thought of all that followed. ‘‘To say I have no heart,” pondered Adonais ; ‘‘ that’s wrong, perhaps: then—I have the truest heart in Kngland? And Miss Gabrielle is to decide the dispute, is she? Ah well! I must speak more about that to her anon.” And when they rose in their turn, and he had gone with the rest into the long drawing-room, his eyes went straight to the calm graceful figure at the further end of it. He made his way there and bending down, spoke. Gomichbooks.co m