The Argosy — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

358 Extracts from the Diary of a Young Lady. looking at them and feeling I should never watch them leap up in their glad homage again. Next spring Marcus would stand a lonely man among them. No poor loving wife would be with him, her heart breaking with his secret, which she betrayed not even to himself. ‘* Doctor Winsley recommends your riding, Lucy,” he said. He was quite cheerful now in seeing me better. ‘‘I have sent for a horse, which J think will be quiet and gentle enough for you. I shall ride it myself to-morrow with a side-saddle and long garment. You will like to ride, my dearest, will you not?” ‘Ves, Marcus,” I replied submissively. Ah! how I loved nding once, and he heard me say so, but I cared for nothing now. I would ride if he wished it, that was all. The following morning the horse was brought round to the hall door, and I stood on the steps to see Marcus mount him en amazone ; a long shawl floated from the saddle, and he sat sideways with his leg over the crutch. It was a very pretty cream coloured creature, and he rode off from the door looking back at me, smiling, and waving his hand. That was how he left me—but ah ! how did he return? Time passed, but I did not count the minutes. Sometimes I did a few stitches of the crochet work I held in my hand; and then I leant back in my chair and dreamed waking dreams while the quiet tears to which my eyes were so well accustomed rolled silently down over my cheeks. “ How long will it last?” I thought sadly. ‘* How long will youth within me fight with death? And what will he do when I leave him ? Oh, my poor Marcus. And as I thought this something came in sight on the road leading to the house. Or, rather, | opened my eyes and saw the something, which had been a few minutes in sight, for it was pretty near the house when I first beheld it. Men, two or three perhaps, huddled close together, and bearing a burden. What was it they were carrying? As they approached I distinctly saw that it was a man, and another minute revealed to me with equal distinctness the figure and the dress. It was my husband. For a second or two I was utterly incredulous. I saw him quite plainly and I did not believe that I had seen him at all. ‘Then, with a great leap, my heart saw as well as my eyes, and stood still as suddenly as it had leapt. I knew I had fainted at less things, but I could not afford to faint then. I had no “leisure to be sick.” I was out of the room and down stairs, with a strength I did not know I possessed, and met them just as they were carrying him into the drawing-room and placing him on a sofa. His face was white, his eyes shut, and he did not seem to breathe. He had fainted, of course. Iran up to him, but they tried to take me away. “Do not come. For Heaven’s sake go away. It is too late; it will kill you too.” CONMNICMOOOKS. ©