The Argosy — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 267 Mr. Cattermole, young, slender, and fashionable, was walking slowly towards them on the path, buttoned up in his light overcoat ; Mary Dixon, her face hidden by her veil and close bonnet, walked by his side, apart. He had his head turned towards her, and was speaking vehemently, but in a low tone. “Took at that person behind them, in a dark cloak,” whispered Mrs. Grey to Godfrey. Godfrey carried his sight past the couple it was so hungrily fixed on, and saw a tall, angular, strong woman of middle age, apparently following them at a respectful distance. “T think it must be the girl’s mother, on the watch unknown to them,” said Mrs. Grey. ‘‘I noticed her the first time I came, and I noticed her the second time, and now she’s here again; so I know she must belong to them in some way.—Good heavens, sir! what ’ are you going todo? Have you forgotten your promise to me?” The couple had halted for a moment by the Marble Arch, apparently about to separate: and Godfrey, in the moment’s mad impulse, was starting forward to confront them. But Mrs. Grey’s. alarmed words and her detaining hand upon his arm, recalled him. ““I1 beg your pardon,” he said with a groan. ‘Yes, I did for an instant forget it.” “He would shoot me as soon as look at me; and I did it out of kindness to you,” bewailed poor Mrs. Grey. “Yes, yes,” spoke Godfrey, reassuringly. So his opportunity was lost. Mary crossed the street quickly, and was joined on the other side by the woman in the dark cloak. Mr. Cattermole watched them away and then hailed a passing hansom and was driven down Oxford Street. To attempt to track Mary then was impossible; she had dis- appeared: moreover, Godfrey was physically incapable of it. ‘Let me see you into a cab,” said he to Mrs. Grey; ‘‘and I thank you for _ what you have done for me.” “T’ll see you into one first, sir,” said she significantly; ‘you look as if in another moment you’ll not have the strength to get into one. There, there’s two cabs waiting; I’ll call them both.” Godfrey was unable to say yes orno. She helped him into one, and he gave the direction to the driver; while she got into the other, and was driven away. “TI could not do more than I did, in the face of my promise to that poor woman,” reasoned Godfrey in his terrible disappointment. “To-morrow I will try Lady Davenant.” (To le continued.) CONNIE OOO KS (CE) m