The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

II4 Caramel Cottage. speech reticent. Katrine glanced now and again at the pages of the ‘‘ Vicar of Wakefield,” which lay in her lap, but she did not read it. As to the barrister, he was looking at her; at the face that had become so dear to him. ‘They might never meet again, nothing on earth might come of the present intimacy and the sweet burning longings, but he knew that he should remember her to the end of time. A verse of one of Moore’s melodies passed through his mind; uncon- sciously he began to hum it : | ‘‘O, that hallowed form is ne’er forgot Which first love traced ; Still it, lingering, haunts the greenest spot ‘ On memory’s waste.’’ ‘‘ Here comes Joan to say tea is ready,” interrupted Katrine. They strolled indoors slowly, side by side. The tea-tray waited in the parlour. Mr. Barbary came in from the gun-room, and they all sat down to the table. After tea he went back to the gun-room, Mr. Reste with him, leay- ing Katrine alone. She had the candles lighted and began to mend a piece of Mrs. Todhetley’s valuable old lace. Presently Joan came in to ask a question. ‘“Miss Katrine, is it the brace of partridges or the pheasants that are to be cooked for supper? Do you know?” “No, that I don’t,” said Katrine. ‘‘ But I can ask.” Putting down her work, she went to the gun-room and gently opened the door. Upon which, she heard these remarkable words from Mr. Reste: “ T wouldn’t hesitate at all if it were not for the moon.” “The moon makes it all the safer,” contended Mr. Barbary. ‘Foes can’t rush upon one unawares when the moon’s bright. I tell you this will be one of the best possible nights for you.” ‘Papa, papa,” hurriedly broke in Katrine, speaking through the dusk of twilight,” is Joan to cook the pheasants or the partridges ?” ‘The pheasants,” he answered sharply. ‘‘Shut the door.” So the pheasants were dressed for supper, and very nice they proved with their bread-sauce and rich gravy. Mr. Barbary especially seemed to enjoy them; his daughter did not. Poor Katrine’s senses were painfully alert that night, as she lay listening, after getting to bed. ‘The words she had overheard in the gun-room seemed to her to bear but one meaning—that not only was her father going abroad into the wilds of danger, but Edgar Reste also. ‘They had gone to their respective rooms early, soon after she went to hers; but that might be meant as a blind and told nothing. By-and-by, she, caught a sound as of the stairs creaking. Mr. Reste and her father were both creeping down them. Katrine flew to her window and peeped behind the blind. ) They went out together by the back door. The bright moon- beams lay full upon the yard. Mr. Reste seemed to be attired, like CORNICLIOM KS 5(e(o)