The Argosy — page 197: what you’re looking at

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180 Lady Grace. to do so. A faint sound of voices came to her through the open window of the drawing-room ; someone must have called and was. talking with her mother. ‘Perhaps it is Mr. Brice,” she thought, alluding to the old doctor,, who was attending Lady Grace. ‘‘ He must be back from London, I think. He ran up for a few hours, he said, and that’s two days ago.” But it was not on Mr. Brice, or on anyone else likely to call, that Gertrude’s mind lingered ; it was on this new trouble of Charles’s, and what it might or might not involve in the future. “Tf she and Charles should part for good, would Everard return to her?” shyly wondered Gertrude, with flushing cheeks. ‘He said ———Why Who is this P?” She half rose in her astonishment. Strolling down the broad path from the house came Sir Everard Wilmot. Could it be he ? Gertrude gazed as one in a dream. He went as far as the little gate, over which she and Lord Avon had recently been leaning, stood there for a minute looking out, and then returned. When opposite Gertrude’s arbour, he caught sight of the soft folds of a muslin dress, and turned quickly. Gertrude felt greatly agitated. Sir Everard walked across the lawn, and held out his hand. ‘‘T am so much surprised,” she said, as her own hand met his, and. her lovely face turned to rose colour. ‘‘I had not even heard that you were expected.” ‘TI came down from London this morning,” he answered, as he took his seat beside her. ‘‘ When Avon was last in town he invited me to come to him for a day or two. Having nothing particularly on hand just now, I thought the occasion too good to be lost.” He paused, looking earnestly at Gertrude, who felt her nervousness increasing, ‘You are not sorry to see me, Miss Baumgarten ?” ‘Oh, no; why should I be sorry?” fluttered Gertrude. ‘ We must all be glad to see you, for it is dull here. I often wish myself away.” ‘Are you glad to see me?” he asked more pointedly. ‘Oh yes! I am—very glad,” said Gertrude, hesitating, and again blushing violently. ‘‘ And mamma and Uncle Avon will be espe- cially so.” A moment’s silence. ‘Then Sir Everard took possession of the hand again, and bent a little forward, his face, slightly agitated, turned to hers. ‘T am given to plain speaking, as you may remember, Gertrude ; I cannot beat about the bush with fine phrases, as some men can,” he said. ‘* My dear, I came here to-day with one sole object—that of asking you to be my wife. Oh, Gertrude! don’t say me nay again !” She bent her head and her changing face, but gave him no other answer, | CONNIE NOC) S) (E©)