The Argosy — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

250 Lhe Mystery of Allan Grale. opposite direction from that in which he wished to go for reasons of his own. It was Tuesday the twentieth of October. On the previous evening Dr. Palmer had heard of the return to Dering of the master of Moorland House, Webster having mentioned it to the Doctor and Miss Vivian when he overtook them in his chaise on coming from the railway station: he had seen Mr. Grale alight from the train. While the Doctor stood on his doorstep, ruminating, his daughter Agnes came out from the breakfast-room. ‘Are you waiting for anything, papa?” she asked. ‘‘ Have you forgotten something ?” ‘No, child: I was only deliberating whether I might go to old Grale at the Mill and tackle him, before going to Mrs. Enderby’s. I suppose I must put aside the inclination ; business before pleasure.” ‘‘ Pleasure !” echoed Agnes, Dr. Palmer laughed. ‘‘ It’s a proverb, you know.” ‘‘ And in one sense it will be a pleasure to tell him how infamous are his suspicions of Charles Carr,” said Agnes warmly. “Softly, young lady,” said her father: ‘‘ Mr. Grale may have thought his suspicions were justified.” ‘‘Papa, he could never have thought his harshness was justified,” returned Agnes. “No,” assented Dr. Palmer, as he moved away. “I shall try to show him it was not.” The Doctor visited his two patients whose cases pressed, and then made his way to the works. He had really come in a conciliatory spirit and to see how far the matter might be made right. Mr. Grale had been absent three weeks and it was time an understanding should be come to for Charles’s sake. ‘The Doctor had in his pocket the suspected roll of manuscript, to be triumphantly produced should Mr. Grale hold out. But when he was requested to wait awhile in the outer counting house, and could overhear Mr. Grale’s rasping and dictatorial tones within, the conciliating spirit fainted within him and was only kept alive by persistent endeavour. Mr. Grale gave a grunt when he saw who his visitor was. His manner could be very offensive at times. But Dr. Palmer had made up his mind to carry the matter through with a light, strong hand, as if he could fearlessly rely on the manufacturer’s neighbourliness and. honest openness to conviction. | They sat down together, Mr. Grale partly turning from his desk, | and talked for a little while. But Dr. Palmer soon found his task would be a hard one. | ‘‘Vou see,” said he presently, ‘‘ Charles does not even know of what he is accused.” Mr. Grale looked up keenly beneath his shaggy eyebrows. “I accuse him of nothing yet,” he said. ‘I only tell him—lI tell you— that I gave him a chance of confessing what he knows should be confessed.” COMMCOOOKS EO)