The Argosy — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

232 ** Her Francis.” “Well, never mind. I shall have her all to myself soon. But I must be off and post this to her. I'll come this evening and read you out what she says.” Mabel, still smiling, notwithstanding the trouble with which she fought night and day, went to see if the shower were over. Only a few drops were falling, so she set off. The narrow dark street into which she turned was unusually crowded with carts and carriages, and, engrossed with her own miserable thoughts, she never noticed until she was in the thick of them—for it had no footway—that she was - in danger of being run over. Suddenly she felt herself seized and drawn back, but only just in time. She looked up to thank Hugh Sedley, as she expected, and found herself face to face with—Francis Grantley! Buta Francis Grantley such as she had never seen, either in dreamland or in life, holding out a rigid arm for her to take, which might have been that of a statue insensible to human touch, so cold and expressionless did his face look. The bitter suffering of the last weeks surged up in her brain and seemed to set it on fire as she saw the stony face of the man who had caused it. Had a thousand deaths been before her she would willingly have died them all sooner than accept the support he offered her. Without one word of thanks for saving the life tnat he had embittered for always, she turned and left him. Had she but looked back, she would have seen nothing stony about him then. Could he have been mistaken ? What did that proud, pale face, those burning, indignant eyes mean ? “You have no umbrella,” he said hoarsely, as he overtook her ; ‘‘and another heavy shower is coming.” She darted under a near archway. He followed her leisurely and found her as far inside as she could go, her pale face and glowing eyes brought out in curious relief by the light of a lamp betore a shrine in the opposite wall. Why did he not let her alone, she asked herself. What bitter mockery of her pain! ‘To care nothing for breaking her heart, but much that a few drops of rain should fall upon her! She felt more than saw that he was examining her closely. “You are changed, Miss Talbot,” he said. ‘‘ A few weeks ago a shower would not have struck you dumb.” Changed! Mabel would have forced herself to deny this had it not been for something in his tone. Had his voice trembled ? Her expression was less hard as she stammered out: ‘‘I was startled, surprised. I did not know that you were in Florence.” He leant towards her, and his words were low but very distinct. ‘“‘ Why not say at once that my presence here is unwelcome to you.” She changed colour, and her lips trembled a little. “The rude suggestion was yours and not mine.” “ At least confess,” and he came a step nearer, ‘‘ that you are disappointed that it was not Mr. Sedley who prevented your commit- ting suicide—as you seemed clearly bent upon doing.” COMMc IOOK<Sn