The Argosy — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

180 Lady Valeria. ‘Your story hardly fits in with that of your relations out there. Then, supposing that difficulty disposed of, and that you ave Stephen Magrath of Petropolis, you have still to goa step farther back and prove yourself Lady Valeria’s son.” ‘‘ For that I have my mother’s letter given to me with her own hand before her death, fully acknowledging me, and begging her son to do me justice. ‘That would be onestrong argument for a jury,” he said, as if to himself, checking it on his finger. ‘Then my father’s portrait and signet ring, his watch and chain preserved forme by my reputed mother. She felt the burden of her secret weigh heavy on her as she grew old, but she dared not have written to her foster-child even if she had known how. She could only give me the tokens and beg me to goto Europe and do the best I could for myself. I have shown them to my brother there. ‘They would be three more pieces of evidence in my favour. Fifth—pouf!” snapping his fingers with the first approach to insolence in his tone—‘“ I have my case clear. Why waste time going over it? The burden of disproof will rest with you.” He turned boldly on Meynell, who shrank back, helplessly. ‘What do you expect in case of—in case we concede your claims?” he asked, miserably. Magrath smiled a little furtive smile of irre- pressible triumph. “ Nay. ‘That is for you to say,” he answered, courteously. ‘‘ Offer to me what terms seem to you just and worthy of you to offer and I shall not make difficulties.” The Vicar saw he had the game in his hands, and that interference was useless. Whatever the secret of Lady Valeria’s marriage this man’s knowledge of it gave him power to make his own terms. ‘Do you mean that I am to give up Glenara to you ?” ‘No, no, that would cause public scandal. Ido not desire that. Can we not make some private arrangement? Jam no man of busi- ness, and am content to leave all details to you. I have not been exactly brought up to being an Irish landlord,” he said, with a short laugh, ‘‘and don’t covet the berth, so if you see any way to commu- ting my claims, I’m in. I’ve lived too long over there,” with a jerk of his head presumably in the direction of America, ‘to take kindly to the old country’s ways at my time of life.” ‘You would take money down and go away ?” asked Mr. Meynell, with a gleam of hopefulness in his look. ‘‘ How much?” ‘‘ What was the last valuation of the Glenara property ? ” demanded Magrath, promptly. “Under sixteen thousand pounds. It has just been revalued.” ‘Shall we say sixteen thousand, then? I shall be strictly within my right in expecting that, lassume. Sixteen thousand!” he repeated, with a sort of lingering, admiring affection. ‘ It ismuch to receive, but I also relinquish much.” “Indeed? You propose to relinquish— ?” CONNICLOOOKS.e©