The Argosy — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Vakria. 341 for the young, the strong, the beautiful!’ There is pleasure in hand- fuls for the young and strong ; and for beauty there is—Love !” She stopped full in front of Elsie, who covered her burning cheeks with her hands, while her eyes shone half in delight, half in terror. “Love? ‘That means a lover?” she whispered. ‘Keep your secrets to yourself, child. I want none of them. The day may come when you would give your heart’s blood for the power [I hold in my hand. You know I do?” Elsie bowed assentingly. “The day will come when the world is too strong for you; when you will.see him drifting, drifting away out of your reach, and your grand friends will be the first to draw him from you. ‘Then come to me, and I will cast back to you none of your miserable doubts and cruel thoughts of me. You need say but ‘ Help me!’ and if he were at the church door with Mrs. Damien he should leave her and come back to you.” Elsie’s brows knitted for a second. ‘I don’t think I should care for a lover who had to be brought back to me,” she said, lifting her head rather proudly. ‘You don’t gute understand me yet. I am srateful, you don’t know how grateful, to you for all you have done for me, but I don’t want you to do anything more. Give me the health and strength you promised me, and perhaps I shall be able to keep the lover for myself,” and she laughed roguishly. Mrs. Beltran laughed too, secretly a trifle perplexed by this sudden outbreak of spirit on the girl’s part. ‘‘ Well done! You deserve him, and I hope he’ll come soon to take care of you when I am gone away with my husband.” “Gone away ?” rather blankly. ‘Did you think I should stay here for ever? He is in good employ- ment, filling his pockets with money, and in six weeks or so they will be full and he will come back, and we shall live in an hotel and go to the theatre every night. Yes, and you shall come too, and drive in a carriage, and know what champagne tastes like.” Mrs. Beltran stopped in her walk and sank again into her chair, smiling jovially in frank enjoyment of the prospect. ‘‘ And when he’s a rich man——” ‘But the money won’t last for ever.” ‘What then? There’s more to bemade. Heh, Zombi?” and she kicked off her slipper and caressed her black familiar with her small, bare foot. ‘‘ We’ve had our bad times together. A feast to-day and the bare bones to pick to-morrow, when Morris has left us with five shillings to last us till he comes home again.” Zombi winked appre- ciatively. ‘‘ Now you are both going to be great gentlemen, English lords—with estates and an income and grand relations. Wait, only wait awhile. You believe in me, if no one else does.” Zombi rolled suddenly over and caught the bare foot with all his claws at once, and pretended to inflict a sharp bite. ‘Then he got up and prowled restlessly. wor XL. Z COMmMicaooks (CO) im