The Argosy — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Valeria. 7 him to come? Weare doing the Mozart quintet now. The JZozar¢t /” and her eyes gleamed through her glasses. ‘Quite impossible, I’m afraid.” Here to his relief they stopped at a large, handsome house, in the window of which sat a lady shrouded in a black lace shawl. She drew back hastily as they approached. The room in which she sat was half lighted by a dim lamp, the only light by the time Edric entered, as she had hastily dropped a curtain shutting out the window and the moon-beams, and stood in the gloom to receive him: a tall, shadowy figure holding out a thin white hand. “Thank you, Mabel ; you may go,” she said, in a soft, imperious tone, and the door shut behind Edric, who advanced in some em- barrassment. Her hand closed on his with a clasp that made him shudder, the thin, shrivelled fingers burned and throbbed and clutched at his with such greedy haste, and her great sparkling eyes shone on him with such fierce enquiry. Then he knew her, and stood on guard, expectant, mistrustful. She held him at arm’s length without a word, gazing and gazing. Thena shivering sigh broke from her lips and she dropped her face in her hands. ‘‘So like and yet so unlike!” he heard her moan. “Do you know why I sent for you?” she asked, looking up sud- denly. ‘* Did you never have any fancy about me? Oh, look at me. Look me in my face well. Tell me, have you never seen it before? Never in your dreams, long, long ago ?” She stepped forward to the table where the lamp stood, and lifting it, let its light fall full on her worn, majestic features, her deep, woeful eyes and quivering lips. ‘““T have seen you before,” he began, hesitatingly, but it was not the answer she looked for. Her face clouded with bitter disappoint- ment. She put down the lamp sharply. “No, I could not expect it. Never mind. I have much more to Say to you, and must lose no more time. I have so little, so little left to me now!” She sat down on a sofa near and held out her hand to him, draw- ing him down beside her. He was utterly bewildered and filled with mistrust, and yet at the same time with deepest pity, and touched by the odd lingering tenderness of her voice and gaze. Something of this he must have shown ever so slightly, for a half smile dawned on her lips, the distressed lines of her brow relaxed, and she sighed again, this time in content as she sat still holding his hand. “Would you stay with me,” she said, gently, ‘‘if I were to ask you? Would you come and be a son to a poor, dying old woman, who has only been living on and on to meet you once more? I would make your life happy if money can do it. I would ask nothing in return, zothzng. A kind word now and. then and the sight of your face—will you give me so much ?” CoOnnicboooks (CO)