The Argosy — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

110 Thought-Reading at Lady Clayjamfry’s. and Tom whistling the ‘‘Mulligan Guards” under his breath. It was the only tune Tom could whistle, and he always did it when he was perplexed, or at a loss, and a great deal on Sundays. “Poor Mabel!” he ruminated. ‘‘ Had a tiff with Lyndhurst, of course, and sent him off in a huff. Now, she wants him back again. Wonder what it was all about? ‘They seemed to be getting along bravely when I last saw them together. I shouldn’t wonder if it was some of this supernatural, electro-biologising business has put his back up ; I know he hates it like poison. It sent one of his sisters half off her head, and Mabel, who used to be so hot about it, spoke quite venomously just now, as if she couldn’t bear to hear it men- tioned. I must try and get it all straight for them. By-the-bye it would be fun if Van der Bosch, the wizard, turned out to be that rascally little Jew we kicked out of Colchester with his marked cards in his pocket. He used to profess some such occult arts, in bland and unbending moments in the small hours of the morning.” IV. On the afternoon of the 27th of July, three weeks after the foregoing occurrences, and the day of Lady Clanjamfry’s soirée, Captain Bar- rington was walking up Piccadilly with his friend Lord Curzon. ‘You're coming to my aunt’s affair to-night, aren’t you? They are awfully short of men, and she told me to go out and catch any- body and everybody and make them come. You see it has got about that they are going to have this German thought-reader fellow, and most of the men think it all rot and have declined—and I don’t blame them. But you’re such a good-natured fellow, you won’t refuse ?” ‘“ T don’t know Lady Clanjamfry,” Tom replied. ‘ Look! there’s Lyndhurst ; he’s much more your man. Didn’t know he was home ! Rush after him now, and make him go to-night—only don’t you tell him about the thought-reading, or you'll never get him.” ‘Thanks! All right, I will—didn’t know he was home, either. Come if you can, Barrington,” and nodding to him hastily Lord Curzon hastened along Albemarle Street after the Colonel’s retreating figure. “You must come, Lyndhurst! You are one of my aunt’s favourite young men, and I’m sent out like Noah’s dove to bring you in. You would have had a card, of course, if you hadn’t disappeared in that unaccountable manner. Now that you’ve come back, clothed ——” ‘What do you mean?” asked the Colonel. ‘“Why you certainly didn’t look in your right mind the last time I saw you in Sloane Street, a month ago. You had on a hat that -Noah himself might have envied “Tl come to Lady Clanjamfry’s with pleasure,” Lyndhurst inter- rupted, hastily, desirous of letting by-gones be by-gones. ‘“ Ah! by the way, is Barrington going? I saw him with you just now.” CORMIECIOO KS. (EC) m