The Argosy — page 251: what you’re looking at

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

234 The Missing Rubies. of the house. A French window opened upon a paved yard, which Harriet’s taste and skill had converted into a sort of flower-garden. Just now it was looking its best with fresh greenery and a bright show of geraniums; and there was a gay flower-stand inside the room. The scarlet and gold of the blossoms toned well with the rich brown of the walls and the soft red and russet hues of the couch and carpet. Everything was comfortable ; everything was refined. There were goodly rows of books ranged on the shelves, and a pretty piano occupied one corner. | “You must see the whole house by-and-bye,” said Mrs. Milton, pleased with her approval. ‘‘ But at present the rooms are quite full ; the ladies in the drawing-room will stay to the end of the season, and we have a permanent lodger on the second floor. By the way, Beatrice, you are sure to be interested in Mr. Vordenberg ; he looks just like some one in a tragedy or a poem.” , ‘‘ And he is the second floor lodger?” “Yes ; he was one of the first who came to us. One can’t decide on his age, but I don’t think he can be old, although his hair is per- fectly white. He has a beautiful, melancholy face, always very pale, with chiselled features and fine dark eyes; and he plays and sings divinely.” | ‘“What a delightful person to have in the house! Do you get at all friendly with him ?” ‘Not exactly friendly. It would not be wise, for many reasons, to be too intimate with our lodgers. Besides, there is something in- penetrably reserved about Mr. Vordenberg ; he is always courteous and gentle, but you can never get very near to him.” ‘“‘’Vordenberg is rather a romantic name. It isn’t English.” “TI believe he is an Austrian. But I myself have heard him talk, apparently with equal fluency, in English, French, German and Italian. Sometimes he has foreign visitors ; they are always men, and rather shabby-looking men, too.” “Did you know anything of him before he came here?” Beatrice inquired. ‘‘ My dear, we always learn something of peopletbefore we receive them. It was our doctor who recommended Mr. Vordenberg to come to us. Heis the most pleasant of lodgers, regular in all his habits and simple in all his tastes; but we know no more about him now than we knew when he first arrived. Sometimes, in the even- ing, when I pass his door, I hear him singing some plaintive air that brings tears into my eyes, and I feel persuaded that he is a man of many sorrows. But what those sorrows are, I cannot even guess.” “And the other lodgers,” said Beatrice; ‘‘are they interesting, too?” ‘“Not in the least. They are ordinary women, well connected, and with some money to spend, who have come up to town to go CONNICLOOKS, (EC) m