The Argosy — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

152 A Shower of Daffodils. he placed it in his pocket-book, side by side with notes on jelly-fishes. It was the first time that sentiment had come into close proximity with science as far as he was concerned. The sonata Madame Schumann played was Beethoven’s ‘ Les Adieux.” ‘That speaking music had all at once a terrible significance. “Tes Adieux” must be silently said by him, and then there would be, ‘aL’ Absence:’’ But as he dreamed, the joyful tones of the ‘‘ Retour” broke upon his ear, and he was sure this was a prophecy for him. ‘There would be a ** Retour”—when or how he did not try to think—but he had not seen that exquisite face for the last time. | So, when Gounod’s song, ‘‘ Le Printemps,” was sung, and the singer had left the stage, he caught himself repeating over and over to himself : “ Vois! le soleil étincelle, Et sa clarté qui ruisselle Me semble encore plus belle Dans tes beaux yeux!”’ During the performanceof the last piece, a Haydn quartet, he noticed the girl making a little sign of recognition to some one in the balcony. He followed the direction of her eyes, and to his amazement beheld the friend who was to have met him, smiling back at her. His heart beat wildly. He now saw a way to the “ Retour.” The concert over, the ladies entered a cab and drove away, and our hero of science went towards the balcony exit, and soon encoun- tered his friend. ‘Well, Richmond, how did we manage to miss each other 2” said the one who had sat in the orchestra. “To tell the truth, Hartley, I indulged in some mulled claret after dinner, and —-—” ‘Surely mulled claret could not cause you to forget,” broke in Hartley, laughing. “No,” replied the mathematician, “ but I was turning a spoon in the glass, and there was the vortex, and I got thinking of the forces.” ‘‘ Mathematics be banished !” said the science man, handing a cigar to his friend and lighting one himself. ‘‘ Come along to the ‘Grand’ with me. I have something I want to ask you about.” “JT will go as far as Trafalgar Square with you, but I won’t go into the hotel to-night. I must get back to Denmark Hill.” ‘Well, then, Richmond, you seemed to know the ladies who sat in front of me to-night—who are they ?” “ Oh,” said Mr. Richmond, in a tone which implied that he had expected something much more important, ‘‘they are neighbours of ours at Denmark Hill. They have recently built a pretty little place there, and are come to live in it. ‘They give very pleasant little dinners, at which one always meets nice people.” “Ts the young lady —— ” CONNICOOOKS. con (>)