The Argosy — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

Shadow and Substance. 309 : with an insufferably self-satisfied grin. ‘‘ Our friend Torrens has just landed, and is impatient to present his homage at the shrine of beauty. A charming surprise, isn’t it?” If one might judge from the effect produced on the three sitters by this introduction of the new comer, the surprise prepared for them was startling rather than agreeable. Each of the party betrayed in a greater or lesser degree very decided symptoms of embarrassment. Mrs. Mortimer blushed through her pearl powder, her niece turned ashy pale, while Herr Gerestein fidgeted uncomfortably on his chair, and glanced at the stranger with a distrustful eye. The only person —excepting, of course, the irrepressible Tommy—who appeared thoroughly at his ease was Torrens himself. After a courteous salutation addressed to both ladies, and the slightest possible acknow- ledgment of the German’s sulky inclination of the head, he took his seat beside Miss Trevelyan, and entered into conversation with her inalowtone. — ‘‘T suppose I ought to congratulate you,” he began, as uncon- cernedly as if he were alluding to the fineness of the weather, and looking at her full in the face as he spoke. “It is rather late in the day, perhaps, but the news of your engagement only reached me a week ago.” “You can do as you like,” she replied, nervously toying with her parasol, and evidently struggling hard to maintain her composure. ““I can scarcely expect you to take any interest ow in what concerns me.” ‘You are wrong, Gertrude,” said Torrens, gravely, but kindly. ‘“A man must always feel interested in the future of a girl he has loved, even when,” he added with a slight shade of bitterness in his voice, “he has been deliberately thrown over. I am not reproaching you,” he continued, in answer to a pleading look from her beautiful eyes. “I perfectly understand that you have preferred the substance to the shadow, and acknowledge my inferiority. It is not probable that we shall meet again, for some time at least; but, believe me, I sincerely trust that the path you have chosen may be a happy one.” With these words, and a cordial grasp of her hand, he rose from his seat, and alleging to Mrs. Mortimer, by way of excuse for his departure, his wish to catch the evening train, soon after left the gardens. ‘““He takes it coolly enough, I must say,” muttered Gabbleton to himself, “and by jove, he’s well out of it. Unless I am very much mistaken, if this match ever does come off, it’s my private opinion that our friend Gerestein. will find that he has got a handful ! ” ; It was the old story of love versus lucre, a contest for supremacy too often resulting, as in the present instance, in the triumph of the latter. That Egerton Torrens, a younger son and a briefless bar- CONNIE OOO KS (E(@) m