The Argosy — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

106 The White Witch. would have been for that of a sister, and a vague feeling of uneasiness lay upon him with regard to the movements of the detective. As a detective the man might consider himself justified in entering the Abbey again at night to obtain speech of Mary or of Mrs. Mayne. Did he possess false keys to open house doors at will? Probably. Quite late, when everybody ought to be in bed, Godfrey went to the school room. He meant to stay there for a bit, eyes and ears alike alert. Down he sat upon the old horsehair sofa; and whilst thinking he was listening with all his ears—fell asleep. He awoke with a start—his fears realised. Someone was in the room, trying softly the handle of Mary’s door; then softly knocking at it. Godfrey was on his feet in a moment, his hands stretched out to seize on the intruder. It was too dark to see anything, but he felt sure it could only be Mr. Cattermole. Mr. Cattermole eluded the grasp, and seemed to make, Godfrey thought, for the window ; Godfrey, in blind pursuit after him, fell over a chair, and threw it down with a noise. Vobody seemed to bein the room, and Godfrey took a match from his pocket and lighted it. The room was quite empty ; the door leading into the corridor was shut : the large cupboard in the wall by the side of the fire-place, which Godfrey opened, was empty also. “Who is there?” came the voice of Mary, who must have been disturbed by the noise. ‘‘ Who is that at my door?” she added, having got no answer. What should Godfrey say? Here was a nice predicament for a newly adopted brother. He did not want to frighten her by telling her that someone had been there, nor did he feel at all sure that he should be able to prove it. ‘The sudden, unaccountable disappearance of the intruder had confounded him. ‘‘Say what you have to say through the door,” said she in a low, hard voice. But he had nothing to say. He thought he had better steal off and hope for the morning light to give him some inspiration for an excuse or apology. And yet, could he go off without satisfying him- self that she was safe from further intrusion? No, he wouldn’t, and she must think what she liked. He undrew the curtains and pulled up the blinds, and while doing this spoke a hasty word, which betrayed him. ‘‘ Godfrey !” he heard Mary exclaim. ‘“ Can it be you?” “Yes,” he answered; ‘‘I came to see that things were safe.” Rather to his surprise she unlocked her door and walked in, a lighted candle in her hand. She was in the silk dress she had worn that evening ; she had not been to bed at all. “ Was it you who tried my door ?” Godfrey nodded: not liking to alarm her, but not choosing to tell a deliberate untruth. “I am glad !—oh, I am very glad!” Eomicbooks.com