The Argosy — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 335 «“ And was it all safe?” eagerly interrupted Mrs. Penteith. “ Quite safe, and its contents also. The master himself had seen it and put it aside. Well, aunt, while I was thanking him, I turned giddy, or faint, or something, and they took me into a room at the back and put me on a sofa, and brought me something by-and-by in a glass, to take. It revived me; but I must have been there ever so long ; it was dark before I could get away. ‘They wanted to send a shopman out with me; but I said it was not necessary ; I left them my card, and got into a hansom.” ‘“ Where were you going ?” asked Mrs. Penteith. ‘‘7 was going to Brompton, to try to see that man again ; for I did not believe a word of his having left his lodgings with his wife. However, they had left, I found, but the people gave me his new address at Bayswater, which the wife had given them when she called to ask if any letters had come for her from America.” “ Well, Godfrey ?” “‘ All this had taken time, you see, and I began to think it would be fully late for Miss Dixon’s, so I went thereat once. I insisted upon seeing her, and I got inside the passage, and would not come away. So then a tall, grim old lady, in a high white cap, as grim as Lady Davenant, but with a kinder face, and a Scotch accent, came out of a sitting-room and took me into it. She was Mrs. Ross, she said. Miss Davenant was under her care and protection, and she could not allow me to see her: the young lady herself positively refused to do so, but she had written me a short note—which she handed to me. It contained only a few words—telling me that all attempts to see her would be useless ; and that the marriage I had done her the honour to propose was quite impracticable—a wild thing that no sane man would have thought of.” “Was it as unkind as that, Godfrey ?” “Yes, There was just a little word or two at the end, when she begged of me to leave her alone. But—vwell, I suppose she made it unkind purposely, to drive me away. Mrs. Ross added that, while Miss Davenant was in her house she should take good care of her.” “And then you came away, Godfrey ?” “T could not do anything else, aunt. I got into the hansom and drove to Bayswater, but Mr. and Mrs. Grey did not live there; the footman—it was a stately kind of house—said he did not know the name,” “And then you came home?” “Yes, it was time: close upon twelve. Aunt, tell me: do you see that the marriage I planned was so very wild?” ‘Oh, my dear,” she whispered, “it did indeed seem so to me.” “What more can I do?” he asked, with a groan. “« My dear, not anything. You must see that, as a gentleman, you cannot. And, Godfrey, I think you must give yourself a day or two’s entire rest in bed, unless you want the fever to come back.” Gomichboo (E(@) m