The Argosy — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

“|| The Mystery of Allan Grale. 259 * Very sad!” murmured Lady Laura, softly wiping her eyes. “Oh, it is! But if youll believe it, Lady Laura,” went on the poor mother, “I daren’t speak out these feelings of mine to Mary Anne. She likes everything nice, I can tell you, but she has always had it found ready to her hand without taking thought or trouble for it herself. And a proper pride and interest in these things seems sordid to her.” ‘Mary Anne is young. And the young cannot be expected to feel as we do, my dear lady.” Mrs. Grale sighed. She had confided everything—nearly every- thing—and how different that is !—to Lady Laura. She told her it was she who had discovered that a box had been sent to Corrabuin, directed to Allan, after he had disappeared. She confided, with many tears, how she had been too easily satisfied concerning his safety by the removal of that box, little dreaming that it had returned to his father’s hands. She did not tell Lady Laura what was in that box—indeed she could not do so—but she dit*not tell her that she did not know; that even since the inquest*she had asked.-her hus- band once, in vain, and had reasons of her own for not repeating the question. No, all of that she kept secret, speaking of that box as if its interest lay only in Edgar Vivian’s anxiety to get it off his own hands. Concerning Edgar, Mrs. Grale gave no uncertain sound. He had killed her Alny; of course he had: man might never be able to prove and punish the treacherous deed, but it would be proved and punished, for all that. Nobody should hinder her from having her say. What mattered now? Her boy was killed among them, and they might take away all her money, or put her in prison if they liked for saying so. Cautioned as much by her father’s ominous self-restraint as by his direct warning, Mary Anne was more guarded in her words. But this very reticence only gave emphasis to her silences, her sighs, and her actions. In truth she was believing that she must give up her dreams of George Vivian’s ever becoming her lover. If what they whispered about Edgar was true, that would debar it. It.seemed as good as an old ballad—a romantic episode which rarely had had place in life. A crime had been committed and a sister must be sacrificed ! Apart from that, it was understood that George’s life would probably be a very short one ; that he might die before the General; in which case Edgar would be heir to the Court. But—were criminals, though undetected, allowed by law to succeed? Meanwhile Viscount Rock- ford called frequently at Moorland House, and was very attentive to her, and sympathising. But perhaps he mearit nothing—men were so puzzling. In the midst of genuine grief for her brother’s fate, thoughts like these were often agitating Mary Anne Grale’s breast, and issuing in many fantastic and inconsistent words and deeds. A rather dramatic depression would give way to a very natural fit of gaiety when the CoOnniclooolkks (CO) am