The Argosy — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

14 Lady Valeria. “ Good afternoon,” responded Edric, rather sheepishly. ‘‘Of course you'll choose the best opportunity. And you'll write to me, won’t you? ” The heavy door closed softly on him, and without further answer he departed. Mr. Meynell picked up from the floor the card on which Edric had begun his futile pencillings and, tearing it to bits, dropped it into his waste-paper basket; unconscious that the offending butler had not only received a previous one from Edric, but had been incautious enough to leave it on the great bronze card tray: where Lady Valeria’s maid, peering idly about half-an-hour later, espied it, wondered at it, and ended by carrying it up with the next delivery of letters to her mistress’s room. Edric was too much absorbed in considering what he had better have said or left unsaid to notice that Mr. Stannard, returning from his errand or visit, was hastening to meet him, till they met face to face. Something in Edric’s harassed, dejected air struck Eustace even more forcibly on a nearer view. ‘‘ You have been to the Meynells’, I see; can you tell me anything of Lady Valeria ?” ‘¢ She’s ill; too ill to see anyone, so they say. She didn’t seem so bad when I saw her at Folkestone not a week ago ” then he checked himself abruptly. ‘‘ Are you a friend of hers?” he looked up at the Vicar with a sudden idea. ‘‘ Do you think you could get to see her? I’ve a fancy that it is Mr. Meynell’s doing that I’m not admitted.” “T can try. I think I ought to do so.” “Then would you mind saying to her that you saw me here.” “That I saw you here? Is that all?” looking slightly sur- prised. ‘“ And that she can ask her son what I came for. That will do the business, I fancy.” Eustace accepted the mysterious commission without further en- quiry, and they parted. ‘Tt was a chance,” Edric said to himself. ‘‘ I’m glad I took it. If she’s really bad, I musn’t write agitating letters, and I daren’t speak out to her son; not just yet. Well, I’ve done all I know, though bad’s the best! And now—wzow Ill be off and put the case from beginning to end before Miss Archdale before I’m an _ hour older !” It was a curious fact that though from the first day of his meeting with Euphrosyne he had been possessed with such a dread of being made a sort of link between her and Mrs. Damien as to make him almost fear to think of one in the other’s presence, he had no such misgivings on Hester’s behaif. Now, with Euphrosyne drawing her magic circles closer and closer round him, his love seemed to be a thing to hide away fathoms deep, as men bury their treasure at the coming of an enemy, to be drawn forth bright and precious as ever COMMIElOOLKS (F©)