The Argosy — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. IOI on her shoulders; Mr. Cattermole’s hat was brought low upon his head and his hands were gloved. Now that Godfrey saw his face by daylight, he did not like it at all. But the strongest impression that the sight of Mr. Cattermole now produced upon Godfrey was, that he was the ideal of what a detective should be; stolid, commonplace, uninteresting, with nothing furtive, nothing salient about him, a man one would pass without notice ; and yet shrewd, and authoritative and impressive when he chose, as he was last night to him, as he was now to Mary. He was speaking to her in a low voice, but with a deliberate earnestness which en- forced attention. To Godfrey, fiercely prejudiced against him, his look and manner were bad, but it was with a badness not striking to a casual observer. From his iron-grey head to his slowly moving feet, now encased in a large pair of carpet slippers, he looked respect- able and uninteresting. The first words Godfrey caught were his. “You have kept your word to her through everything, she tells me: you have loved her, been devoted to her. For her sake, keep your word to her now, and come away quietly with me. Remember, it will save all scandal to these people you have been living among. They do not expect you to stay here for ever; let them think you have joined that sisterhood of which you have spoken to them.” * But my life!” wailed the girl in a low voice, shrinking back: and by this hesitation enabling Godfrey to hear more than if they had hurried past. “Your life is safe; and it will not be hard, as you seem to think,” said the detective rather impatiently ; yet speaking always in his soft, sweet voice : “‘ I have lost time enough over this business, as you well know, and I cannot afford much more. If you do not come to a speedy decision—” * T will, I will,” she interrupted in a tone of anguish; ‘‘ but you can- not wonder that I shrink from it. Either alternative is so very terrible.” “That of the criminal dock is terrible,” he answered sternly. “As matters are being let drift on now, there’s a good chance of all the people connected with that past matter speedily standing in it. Have you no pity for your mother?” “You need not ask that,” she answered. “To escape with me, and under my protection, is absolutely the only alternative left you,” continued the detective. ‘I will not be played with any longer. If you do not agree, I must—” “T will tell you my decision to-morrow for certain,” she spoke hastily, asif wishing to stop his words. ‘Spare me until to-morrow.” “That will be quite the latest. I have delayed too long. Every day I am expecting that Scotland Yard will be sending someone down to see into things. Especially if Sir William Hunt—” “Yes, yes, I know what you would say. When you gave the ex- planation to mamma this morning I saw the necessity of something being done without delay—” Gomichboo (E(©) ny