The Argosy — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

78 | Cousin Barbara’s Prejudice. : beneath it, closing her own, and pulling the bed-clothes over her face, He did not attempt to speak to her, but taking up the letters walked out of the room, called the little maid of the establishment and bade her go to her mistress. ‘Then, the letters still in his hand, he put on his hat and went out. Poor, wretched Barbara; her punishment, when they told her he was gone, was almost more than she could bear. He had never forgiven Madge Craigie when he believed her to be the thief, how then could Barbara hope to be forgiven. All that night he did not return, and during the next day there was no sign from him; the servants and neighbours did the best they could for Barbara, who was so quiet and enduring and patient, that they all believed the end must be very near, since no one had ever seen her so subdued before. Twenty-four hours had passed since Trevor Lane went away with the letters, when a London hansom drove up to the garden-gate, and he himself got out, accompanied by Madge Craigie. She looked very ill and wan, and was by no means the handsome Madge she had been five months ago; still there was a bright expres- sion in her eyes which looked like returning happiness. Trevor led her straight upstairs to Barbara, whose agitation on be- holding her was painful to witness, but Madge knelt down beside the bed, and taking the old woman’s hand she kissed it gently. ‘You loved him so, you grudged him to me, did you not, poor cousin? Well, he has promised for my sake to forgive you, and together we will try and nurse you back to health, and you will on your part try to love me just a little.” Barbara nodded her head in assent, and the doctor coming in at that moment ordered no more talking ; so the lovers, restored to bliss in each other’s society, went downstairs into the studio, and the old lady with a load taken off her mind was left by means of one of Dr. Bell’s draughts to have a few hours of quiet sleep. Nor did Cousin Barbara die. She fought vigorously with death for a day or two, as though she were determined to conquer the foe, and for awhile she succeeded. She would never be able to speak quickly or sharply again, but she managed to make herseif understood, and in expressing her deep con- trition for the past’ she kept her word when she said she would always be gracious and pleasant to her new cousin in the future. So Trevor and Madge were married. Of course Cousin Barbara had to give up the housekeeping to the young wife; but she still kept her place in the studio window, though the white work was no longer on her lap, and instead of it the poor powerless right hand lay on her knee as though seeking strength in the sunshine. Eomicbooks.co