The Argosy — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

330 Lady Grace. ‘Vou have just said he had that cheque.” ‘* Yes—to extricate another.” ‘“ Another?” echoed Lady Grace, looking at him. ‘It was not— Oh, Ryle! it surely was not Charles ?” ‘“ Yes it was,” said the Dean, in a low, sad tone. ‘“ He got into debt, and Cyras took my cheque to Oxford to release him. No one can be more repentant than Charles is; I do not think it will ever happen again. It was not his fault; he was drawn into it by others. I had the nicest possible letter from him this morning: he says it will be a life’s lesson to him. I believe it will. There—let us leave Charles’s affairs for mine. Grace, this blow will kill me.” “Tf you went to prison it would be quite enough to kill you; but that cannot be thought of. As a last resource, money, I say, must be raised on my property.” “My dear, I thought you knew better than that. It is yours for your life only, and then it descends to your children. ‘The Lord Chancellor himself could not raise a shilling upon it.” Lady Grace started up. “Is it so? Then what in the world is to be done ?” He did not say what: he foresaw too well, and his countenance betrayed it. She put her arm round his neck. — ‘No, Ryle, dearest, you never shall: there shall be no prison for you whilst I live. I will be back in an hour.” ‘‘ Why, where are you going?” he exclaimed. ‘““'To my brother. A cab will take me there in safety. He must manage this. Now, don’t attempt to stop me, Ryle; what harm could I come to? If you are afraid it might do so, come with me.” “ T wish I could. Jam a prisoner.” “ A prisoner!” she ejaculated. ‘‘ Here, in your own house?” ‘“T may not quit it, except to exchange it for a prison. But, my dear, listen to reason. You are not hkely to find your brother at this hour of the night; perhaps he is not even back from the races. . Fuller will see after him in the morning.” “ T shall go and find him now,” she persisted. She had a bonnet and shawl brought down, and a man-servant was ordered to attend her: not Moore, who could not be spared from home. For once in her life Lady Grace condescended a word of explanation. ‘‘ She had business with Lord Avon, and the Dean felt too unwell to accompany her.” She remembered one important item of information she was ignorant of, and went back to ask it. ‘ Ryle, how much are you arrested for ?” ‘The sum that I am arrested for is about four hundred pounds. But now that this crisis has come, I shall not escape without making arrangements to pay all I owe,” added the Dean. ‘* And how much 1s it in the whole P” “Close upon five thousand pounds.” Grace looked at him; he was sitting back in the large chair COMMICOOOKS, (Eo) m a”