The Argosy — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

204 The Story of Charles Strange. nothing but passages. But my lord never lives here ; he only pays it promiscuous visits now and then, and brings down no servants with him. He was kept prisoner here, as may be said, through jamming his knee in a gateway; and then my lady came Gown, and we are putting up with all sorts of inconveniences,’ ‘Who lives here in general ? ” ‘Two old retainers of the Level family, sir: both of ’em sights to look upon ; she especially. She dresses up like an old picture.” Waiting within the doorway to receive Mr. Ravensworth was Mrs. Edwards. He could not take his eyes from her: he had never seen one like her in real life, and Sanders’s words, “dresses up like an old picture,” recurred to him. He had thought this style of dress completely gone out of date, excef¢ in pictures; and here it was before him, worn by a living woman! She dropped him a stately curtsey, that would have served for the prelude to a court minuet in the palmy days of Queen Charlotte. ‘Sir, you are the gentleman expected by my lady?” ‘Yes. Mr. Ravensworth.” **7’ll show you in myself, sir.” | Taking up a candle from a marble slab—there was no other light to be seen—she conducted him through the passage, and, turning down another which stood at right angles with it, halted at the door of aroom. In answer to a question fram Mr. Ravensworth, she said his lordship was much better within the last hour ; quite himself again. ‘‘ What would you be pleased to take, sir?” she added. “I will order it brought in to you.” **T require nothing, thank you.” But quite a housekeeper of the old school, and essentially hos- pitable, she would not take a refusal, ‘‘I hope you will, sir: tea—or coffee—or supper —— ?” ‘‘ A little coffee, then.” She dropped another of her ceremonious curtseys, and threw open the door. ‘* The gentleman you expected, my lady.” It was another long, bare room, but not the one already mentioned. Singularly bare and empty it looked to-night. <A large fire burned in the grate, half way down the room, and in an easy-chair before it ' reclined Lady Level—asleep. ‘Two wax-candles stood on the high carved mantelpiece, and the large oak table behind Lady Level was dark with age. Everything about the room was dreary, excepting the fire, the lights, and the sleeper. Should he awaken her? He looked at Blanche Level and deli- berated. Her feet rested on a footstool, and her head lay on the low back of the chair, a cushion under it. She wore an evening dress of light silk, trimmed with white lace. Her neck and arms, only relieved by the lace, looked cold and bare in the dreary room, for she wore no ornaments ; nothing of gold or silver was about her—except her wedding-ring. Was it possible that she had attempted the life of him EGomichookssco m