The Argosy — page 119: what you’re looking at

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102 The White Witch. Godfrey heard no more. They had passed him ; the man earnest, imperious ; the girl shrinking, trembling. He could scarcely restrain himself from dashing out from his ambush to take advantage of the tempting pond to give the tyrant at least a ducking, and from throw- ing his arms round Mary to vow that she should be saved in spite of herself. But this vow could be better kept by saying nothing about it. He waited until after he judged that they had had time to separate at the plantation gate, in which direction they had dis- appeared, and then he followed. There was no one about. He went through the garden into the Abbey, and saw Mary at the foot of the stairs, about to go up. His heart ached for her as she tried to speak to him brightly and lightly, to ward off any suspicion. ** Where have you been, Mr. Godfrey ? Not tochurch, I’m afraid ; you are back too soon.” ‘* How is it you are not at church ?” asked Godfrey. ‘‘T had a headache, so I went for a walk instead. By-the-bye, you said something at luncheon about writing to Ernest ; is it too late for me to send him a message?” ‘‘T said I had written. I can tear up the envelope and charge the penny to him.” Mary laughed. ‘It does not matter. I'll write him a whole independent letter another day. Mamma wants to see you,” she continued. ‘She says you never come to speak to her now.” “‘T was at her door not long ago,” returned Godfrey, ‘‘and she would not admit me; she said she wanted to sleep.” ‘“* But she is awake now. Come.” Mary ran lightly up to her mother’s room, and introduced Godfrey. She left him with her mother—who was lying on the sofa to rest her foot, and looked as if she had been crying instead of sleeping, and seemed in very low spirits—and went to her own room. There she penned a hasty note to Ernest; its purport being to warn him not to pay attention to anything he might hear from Godfrey, who had, she lightly ran on, to be entertained with no end of silly fables to keep his suspicions off the truth. This ietter she asked Emily, who was going out to meet her sweetheart, to put in the post-office, there being no letter-bag from the Abbey on a Sunday evening. Godfrey strolled to the post-office after leaving Mrs. Mayne, and posted his letter himself ; so that both letters would reach Ernest Underwood’s chambers by the same delivery on the following morning, CHAPTER XXIV. PUTTING UP USELESS BARS. In coming back from the post-office Godfrey called at the black- smith’s, whose place was nearly opposite to the Vicarage gate. As it was Sunday, he got at him with difficulty, and found him rather Weomicbooks.co a — =. « — , |