The Argosy — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

158 A Shower of Daffodils. came to a solitary mill, which was her first land-mark. Near this she had been told there was a stile leading into the low meadows. She found the stile and crossed it, and was soon conscious that she was walking in water, and as she went further it seemed to be getting deeper. She almost ran in her fear, and in her longing to bear on. ‘What does it matter?” she said, half aloud. ‘‘ My father, who may be on his dying bed, is waiting for me.” But very soon she heard the sound of dashing water, almost as the waves of a sea. She turned about in her uncertainty, not knowing the right direction at all. It had ceased raining, and suddenly the moon shone out from amid a bank of angry clouds. It revealed a rushing torrent before her, and a waste of waters far reaching on every side, rapidly rising. Any way might lead her out of her depth. Yet to stay where she was seemed certain death. ‘The water had even now reached to her knees. In her terror and despair she cried aloud, and clasped her hands as if in appeal to Heaven. ‘The moon, which had hidden itself after a brief moment, now shone out again, and by its light Evelyn saw she was no longer alone: another wayfarer was breasting the torrent with herself. A tall gentleman, and he stood by her side; and before she had recovered from her astonishment, or her wonder at how he came there, he spoke. “Do not fear, my child,” said he. ‘Only trust me. I will take you safely on the way you wish to go.” The moon lit up the speaker’s face. Evelyn, scanning it, saw that it was a very pale but kind face. In moments of peril such as this, we throw off the restraints of reserve; and Evelyn told him who she was, and how she came to be here alone and the place of her destination, and why she was going to it. ‘‘ Keep close to me and fear nothing,” he said in answer: and Evelyn thought the voice was a more singular one than she had ever heard. The moon went in again, and they were wrapt in darkness: but the fear at her heart was gone, and trust had taken its place. A strange, weird walk it was. The swollen stream passed in safety, their way lay along stone hedge-tops, with the water on either side blown up by the fierce wind which had suddenly nsen. Then another angry stream had to be crossed. It almost seemed to Evelyn as if she were going along ina dream. Her companion did not touch her, yet he piloted her onward in safety. In some places they had to leap from stone to stone, yet no false step -was made. Then followed long stretches of glimmering, nearly silent water, through which they walked easily. ‘Flow well you must know the way!” exclaimed Evelyn at last to this good friend, who had remained silent after his first remarks. He answered by extending his arm to point forwards; and she saw the lights of the village. ‘Oh, how glad I am to see them,” said the girl, with a sigh of COUN lm \ eNO KS,(E) m