The Argosy — page 396: what you’re looking at

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

Yosodhara. 375 else but of her. Neither wished to be thought in earnest. And so neither had the courage to object to the other’s chaff, lest it should be supposed that he thought the matter serious. Both felt that a crisis was approaching—each imagined that he would be the hero of it— while he affected to believe that the other was the only one really interested. She could hardly have been unconscious of their devotion, but she appeared quite unconcerned by it. Possibly the same thing generally happened with her summer lodgers. She had the sufficiently rare quality of attraction without coquetry, and such small favours as she did bestow were bestowed with absolute impartiality. Things had now reached a stage when the pleasure each felt in being with her was apt to be marred by a sense of irritation and jealousy at the other’s being there too. So it was as much a relief as a disappointment when she came to their room door after lunch and said, with a smile that set two hearts beating fifty per cent faster : “T am so sorry I can’t go with you to-day. I have a friend coming to see me, and I must not be out. JBut here are the keys. I hope you will enjoy yourselves. ‘There’s nothing sacred. You are free to go where you will. Only please lock the doors again, because I don’t let people go in unless I’m sure they will respect the old place. You’d better not smoke in there—it’s as dry as tinder.” She accepted their regrets very graciously, walked with them to the garden gate, and stood there, when they had gone, shading her eyes with her hand and looking after them. At the bend of the path which would lead them out of sight they turned to take another look at the graceful white figure. She waved her hand to them, and moved towards the house, with a faintly amused smile on her fair face. Langdale Abbey was not at all a “show” place. Nearly the whole of it had fallen into decay ; but it was less a ruin now than it had been forty years ago, for the late owner had had all that could be repaired made habitable. What remained of the chapel, the re- fectory, and the greater part of the building was too shaky, and too much eaten away by ivy, to be available ; but five or six rooms in the front of the building had been plastered and painted and made fit to live in. All outward signs of this restoration were hidden by moss and lichen; and ivy had crept over nearly all the masons’ work. This habitable portion was divided by the archway of the main entrance; Mr. Dalgleish’s rooms having been on one side and the Dixons’ on the other. ‘ Let’s first look at the nursery of the fair Yosodhara,” said Kerr as they left the blazing sunlight without, and entered the cool black shadow of the arched entrance. The large keys were tried one by one, till the dark heavy oak swung slowly outwards and the two young men passed through the narrow doorway. The nursery of the fair Yosodhara was, perhaps, interesting from a (C(O) An) (C 6) QO) O) (C(O)