The Argosy — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

The White Watch. 107 Godfrey looked infinitely astonished. She smiled, and a moment after said hesitatingly—‘I am not afraid of you. I know if you came, it was with some good motive. While you were at hand to take care of me, I could go to sleep like a trusting child.” This overwhelming confidence took his breath away. She went on with a sudden change to anxiety. ‘‘ But there was someone here beside you. Did you not hear the noise?” a “TI thought I heard a cat.” ‘Why don’t you say a cow?” said Mary, her eyes twinkling, in spite of her anxiety, in the almost hysterical relief she felt at the un- expected presence of one she could trust. But the smile died out again from her face as she stooped and snatched something from the floor. It was something so small that it escaped Godfrey’s eyes altogether ; but he saw the movement, and asked what she had found. She answered, shaking from head to foot. ‘Something which proves that someone has been here besides ou.” “‘No, I daresay I dropped that,” cried Godfrey, without the least idea what it was, but alarmed by the terrible misery in her eyes. “No, no,” she said, bursting into tears. ‘‘I—I wish you had.” And she began to glance fearfully round the room. But there was no one in it but themselves, no one in the cup- board, for Mary opened it as Godfrey had done, and the outer door was safely shut. They looked at each other, as if asking what the mystery could be, and whither the intruder could have betaken him- self. * My father is still in the Swallow Chamber: I would advise you to go to your mother’s room for the night,” remarked Godfrey. ‘1 think I will,” said Mary. And I hope you will go to yours now and get a good night’s sleep.” “No,” answered Godfrey, “I shall stay here in the schoolroom.” “‘Oh—but—surely there’s no necessity for it. Nobody will dare to come a second time.” ** All the same, I shall stay to see.” He lighted her along the gallery and saw her softly open her mother’s door and enter. Godfrey was not again disturbed, and got some snatches of sleep on the hard horsehair sofa. His broken rest had not improved his appearance, and he was rallied by his father at breakfast for looking like a scare-crow. Mary joined quite heartily in the laugh against him. This made him cross, he thought her ungrateful, and he called women all sorts of names in the refectory by himself: after first going round to the farmhouse, however, and learning from the servant that Mr. Cattermole was not up yet. They’re a set of ungrateful, heartless creatures, and they oughtn’t to have human faces at all, for they haven’t human feelings, he thought ferociously ; and drawing his head sharply in through the Gomichboo “S (E@) nn