The Argosy — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

102 Lady Valeria. were running so clearly, too. Ah!” with a sort of impatient snarl andastamp. ‘“ Let them go!” When she turned again to Elsie, she had composed her features into a resolute smile. ‘‘ Don’t speak to me of them again, but tell me at what time I shall come to take you with me to church this evening.” CHAPTER: Vit TOLD IN THE VESTRY. (RETROSPECTIVE. ) WHEN Elsie and her companion reached St. Fridolin’s that evening _ they found the church already well filled, for Mr. Stannard’s Thursday lectures had become well-known as something worth hearing. There were as many of his own parishioners as he could reasonably expect to _ see, and several strangers. | One carriage that Elsie had noticed on the previous Sunday was _ driving away, and the verger was ushering into the foremost pew its occupant, a tall, dignified lady, closely veiled ; while she and Mrs. Beltran found their seats in a quiet corner of the side aisle, near another friend from Lavender Row. Eustace found an excitement, or more justly, an inspiration, in addressing the motley assemblage here that had been lacking in ordinary Sunday preaching to his brilliant congregation at St. Ermentrude’s. ‘‘Those who are here to-night,” he thought, ‘‘ have come not for my sake, but for the sake of what I can give them,” and he gave of his best from the fulness of his heart and soul. He was carried beyond himself by the vastness of his subject, so that he heard not when poor Elsie, excited, alarmed, and conscious of being a very naughty girl in being there at all, burst into an unmanageable fit of hysterical sobbing, and was led away by Mrs. Beltran and her friend Mrs. Ridge. Nor did he note the gratifying fact that having seen Elsie part of the way home, Mrs. Beltran returned and unobtrusively regained her place. The tall lady in front had started at Elsie’s cry, glanced round, and then sunk on her knees, hiding her face in her hands. She remained in this attitude, hidden from. general view by the high backed pew, till the dispersion of the congregation. Almost all had gone before she slowly rose and made her way down the aisle, the old verger waiting obsequiously at the door in readiness to.call up her carriage. | : Slowly and more slowly she stepped, till in. the very doorway she stopped. . ‘I must! I must!” the verger thought he heard her say to herself, and she sank on the last of the open seats in the centre of the aisle: ‘‘Send Mr. Stannard here, if you please,” she ‘said to the old man in a quick, imperative tone. ‘‘ Has he gone yet?,”:: , ‘“‘Nay, madam, no farther than the vestry, I dare say.” And he trotted off, turning out.unnecessary gas-lights on his way, till only one flickering standard remained. anges Eat | | | ECORMICLOIOOKS (Ee) my |