The Argosy — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

88 The White Witch. Early in the afternoon he went over to the Vicarage, where he found the girls cross and languid after the previous night’s excitement. It was Mary who had reminded him that he ought to call; and, remembering his promise to the Vicar, he had snatched up his hat and started. But to the very door he was thinking of Dick Wilding and the detective, and wondering whether the latter was to be bought off with money ; and he all but called Mrs. Thornhill “Nancy.” He dared not let his thoughts dwell upon Mary herself; although the yoke of his engagement was now loosed from off his neck, to be taken up or not at the end of a month, he felt bound in honour to consider it only temporarily lifted. As Mary was not in any case to be his, he must fight down that passion which would spring up into such fierce life just when he thought he had got it under; and the best distraction he found was in devising plans to save her. He would use the month’s respite in assuring, if it were possible, her security and happiness; and by that time he felt that, at the rate at which he was living now, he should have used up every strong emotion of which he was capable, and could enter matrimony safely and glad of rest. Elspeth knew of the Vicar’s decision and was rather tearful about it. It was better to be engaged to a man who admired Miss Dixon than not to be engaged at all. She supposed she must give him back her ring. This was to Elspeth the worst blow of all. But of course he would not hear of that; and as she looked relieved, he promised that at the end of the month he would give her a bracelet. ‘Tf we keep on our engagement?” said she, her eyes sparkling. ‘‘ Even if you decide to throw me over, I shall beg you to accept it as a sign that you bear me no ill-will.” ‘But mamma wouldn’t let me if I were not engaged to you.” ‘‘Then you will have to be constant, whether you like it or not.” ‘Oh, it is not I who will be inconstant,” said she naively. ‘‘ There is nobody nice up there where we are going to—at least at this time of the year.” Godfrey laughed. ‘I shall then feel more sure of your devotion,” he said lightly, but rather drily. Perhaps when she was his wife he would be able to strike some speck of fire out of the unstirred nature, but just now her shallowness. from irritating began to disgust him. ‘‘ And I could give a woman a love worth having!” he thought to himself, in sadness. But he had done so already—and to the wrong woman. This often happens. On his return home, he found Mary and his father on the point of starting to call at Goule Park. It had been announced that Lady Hunt was about to leave for town shortly; so as Mrs. Mayne stil) kept her room, the call must be made without her. Godfrey jumped GEomicbooks.¢co