The Argosy — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

The Missing Rubtes. 321 Is it anything very interesting? I always fancied that you would write books, or paint pictures. Don’t you remember that I used to say you were a lazy genius?” “You recognised the laziness, but not the genius.” He laughed slightly. I think I shall go to my grave without writing a book or painting a picture.” Well, but what ave you doing? Don’t you see that I am really very anxious to know?” Beatrice’s ears, abnormally sharp just then, could catch a faint tremor in the voice, which told that this anxiety was not wholly feigned. “T put off telling you as long as I could, just because I don’t like to shock your sensibilities. But if you will have the truth, here it is —TI am learning a business.” “A business? Oh, really! But that doesn’t mean shop-keeping, does it?” “Not quite; but it does mean buying and selling.” “Buying and selling what? Ah, Godwin, why are you so reserved? {sn’t it natural that an old friend should be interested in all your doings ?” Beatrice, sitting bolt upright, was listening with all her might; and Alma wanted her to listen. Partly to please herself, and partly to annoy “that girl,” Miss Lindrick had spoken in a half-tender, half- reproachful tone; the tone that a woman always uses if she has once had power over a man, and desires to revive the oldinfluence. And although Godwin Earle had clad himself in a coat of mail, resolved to be proof against all the blandishments of a false woman, that pleading voice smote him between the joints of the harness, and found out the weak place in his heart. “There is no need for reserve.” He spoke quietly, but not quite in his natural manner. ‘‘An old acquaintance of mine has taken me by the hand, and I am learning to be a wine-merchant.” At these words, Colonel Lindrick pricked up his ears, and began to wonder whether they had not dismissed Godwin somewhat prema- turely. The Colonel did not like trade, but he hiked money ; and if aman went in for business at all, a wine business had, he thought, a better sound than any other. Moreover he knew something that no one else knew, and that secret knowledge made him disposed to be very civil to his daughter’s old suitor. Alma, although he had filled the air around her with rumours of her wealth, was by no means a great heiress after all. ‘Ah, then you are sure to be very rich some day!” Alma was quite in earnest now. ‘‘I have often thought that you would find yourself on the high road to fortune. Indeed, I have said the same thing to the aunts at Meadow House—haven’t I, papa ? ” But that reference to Meadow House was ill-timed, and it had the effect of weakening the impression she had made. To speak COM () JOOKSHEO