The Argosy — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

256 The Mystery of Allan Grale. difficulties with her, or for listening to any of George’s. But he saw that his want of sympathy gave her pain. “You see, I am talking in the dark, Maria,” he resumed, in a kindly tone, “there are a thousand little circumstances surrounding every particular case which must modify an outsider’s view of it. You won’t be angry with me when I say I can’t help inferring that you yourself are keeping a secret.” “Aye, I am,” she said bitterly. “ And unwillingly, I fancy.” “No, not unwillingly,” she answered. ‘It has been as a black shadow on my life from the day I knew it, but if it could have rested there, it should have been let lie in silence. Why should it not? Nothing can ever make my life hight and easy as it was before. But when it seems to go creeping on, and on, and on! Oh, Edgar! I hardly know what to do.” Edgar was silent, for he did not know what to say. He began to think he had been wrong in his conjecture that it might apply to himself. ‘““TIs he, whom the secret most concerns, aware that you know it?” he asked presently, his mind quite full of his brother George. “Yes,” said Maria briefly. ‘‘ And relies on your silence,” remarked Edgar. “Yes,” said Maria, again. ‘Did you give him your promise to be silent ? ” ‘“We never exchanged a word on the subject,” she cried, turning fall upon him, as if to confront any heedless banter her statement might elicit. ‘¢ Are you quite sure you are under no mistake,” asked Edgar, very gently. | ‘‘ Quite sure,” she replied, steadily. “It is of no use my doubting this,” said Edgar, ‘“‘ because you know the circumstances and I do not. And now you feel that it may not be right to keep this secret any longer ?” Maria did not directly answer this question. She sat holding the faded leaf between her thin fingers. ‘‘ Edgar,” she said, presently, “‘let me state a supposititious case. Suppose I knew that a certain person carried a certain drug about with him, which could produce certain effects. Suppose he knew that I was aware of this because I had seen the drug, though we had never talked it over. And suppose as time went by that the natural effects of that drug were seen among the people and things surrounding him, so that everybody could be quite sure that that drug was there, and that—that—it might do great harm to at least one person, if not to more, what ought I to do under such circumstances? Could it be wrong to speak? Could it be right to keep silence ?” “Tt could not be wrong to speak; it must be wrong to keep silence,” said Edgar. He was watching his sister with solicitous EOMIGIOOKS (EO) m