The Argosy — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

| Gomichoo The White Witch. 331 with a smile, the cynicism of which his aunt failed to read. When Elspeth had been safely handed over to the vicar, after wickedly tucking the bracelet up her sleeve, and they were in the carriage again, Mrs. Penteith turned to her nephew. “‘ What a sweet little creature she is!” ‘Yes; and what a pity she is not made of wax or china like other dolls !” His aunt looked grave. ‘ Do you think it right to make love to a girl one moment with presents and pretty speeches, Godfrey, and to ridicule her simplicity the next ?” “T think it can be justified when, after trying to treat the girl like a sensible woman, and exciting in her nothing warmer than indif- ference, I treat her like a child, and make her happy at once— with a toy.” ! ** And have I not heard that Miss Dixon is excessively fond of dress ?” asked she rather drily. His face grew soft at once. ‘Yes, but her very dress illustrates the woman, instead of being tacked piecemeal on to a lay-figure. I am not too hard on that child we have just left, Aunt Madge; she Is the ideal of half the wisest men in the world, I believe, those who only want a wife one day in seven. The affection she cannot give me, she gives to my bracelet ; and when some other man gives her a bigger one with diamonds instead of pearls, my place in her heart will be gone for ever.” The carriage had been ordered, at Godfrey’s request, to his bankers’. He alighted there and went into the bank; but was soon back again. “Have you been drawing all that money, Godfrey ?” she asked, as the carriage went on again, and he began sorting a handful of notes. ** Yes,” answered he, changing a bag of sovereigns from one pocket to another. ‘I’ve been drawing three hundred pounds.” “What do you want so much money for?” *‘ T’ll tell you, aunt,” said he, turning his head to look at her and speaking gravely and quietly: ‘‘I am going to be married.” Mrs. Penteith trembled. She could not speak. “IT want you to help me, aunt,” he went on, steadily. “I am going to marry a girl over whose head lies a fearful charge, who is being hunted down, driven by fierce winds. I am not even sure whether she is innocent or partly guilty, and I don’t care. I am going to carry her off to-night from where she is, but we cannot be married until to-morrow, for there’s the license to get. Must I take her to an hotel, or will you shelter her for one night ?” His voice was so low that through the rumbling of the wheels she could scarcely hear it, but he was white and cold with the intense eagerness with which he waited for her answer. “It is not right. It would be your ruin, Godfrey. I cannot.” He pulled the check-string, and before the carriage had quite (E@) m