The Argosy — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

The White Witch. 23 himself off as an inoffensive artist, for the purpose of keeping a watch over Mary, or her mother, or both of them? Ifso they must be already safe in his toils; no escape could remain for them; whenever he chose to put out his capturing hand they must yield to it. Godfrey grew hot at the thought. | The more he dwelt upon it, the stronger grew his opinion that this suspicion was correct. He had not seen enough of the man to recog- nise his person, but he had thought he recognised the voice. When it was raised somewhat above a whisper, Godfrey had been struck with its tone of softness, and began wondering whose it was and where he had heard it: and there flashed upon his mind in answer, It is that of the artist, Cattermole. He recalled the little episode related to him by Nancy Wilding: of her seeing a rough sketch of the likeness of Mary Dixon, growing under their lodger’s hands; he had said it was not a likeness of any Miss Dixon, but of a lady he had met abroad, and had since lost sight of. What could this méan ? Terribly uneasy, he turned aside from the front gates of the Abbey, and made his way round to the farm-house, with what purpose he could hardly have told, unless it was the vague wish of ascertaining whether the artist had been abroad that night. The earth was damp and fresh, one or two sharp showers having fallen during the evening. As Godfrey halted before the farm, looking up at it, the church clock struck the half hour after two. Of course everybody had been in bed for hours !—and what good had he done by coming there? At that same moment, the curtain was suddenly pulled aside from an end window, which he knew to be Nancy’s, and her head appeared at it. Her room was at the opposite end of the farm to the room occupied by the lodger, which joined the Abbey. After taking a look at Godfrey, standing there in the rather watery moonlight in. his thin, light overcoat, she withdrew, and closed the curtain. ‘T’ll ask Nancy: she won’t mind,” thought Godfrey: and he took. up some gravel and flung it at the window. It did not bring forth any response. Godfrey threw again. At this Nancy pulled back the curtain and looked down. Godfrey - made a sign to her to open the window ; and she obeyed him. _ “Good gracious, Master Godfrey, whatever do you want at this time ?” she exclaimed in a whisper. ‘‘Is anything the matter?” ‘“ Nothing’s the matter; it’s all right. I say, Nancy,” he continued, In a voice as cautiously low as her own, “I want you to tell me whether your lodger has been abroad to-night.” “What do you wart to know for?” returned Nancy, womanlike. ‘Never you mind that: not for any harm, you may be sure,” returned Godfrey. ‘Was Mr. Cattermole out late this evening? Come! don’t keep me here all night, Nancy.” “Well, sir, he was, if you must know. He went out at ten o’clock, which was very late for him, just as we were all going to bed, EONNICOOOKS EO)