The Argosy — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

100 The Village Blacksmith. it afterwards, it seemed to Janet like a terrible dream, in which she was driven to choose between death by fire or life with Mark; and, dear as life was to her in the prime of her youth and beauty, one seemed, under these circumstances, as terrible as the other. When Reuben had extinguished the fire and turned his own bull’s- eye on the scene, he found Janet sobbing hysterically in the chimney- corner, and Mark with a sheepish air looking sulkily at her. He _ never succeeded in getting a clear account of what had passed between them, but from that day Janet was never annoyed by any more visits from Mark Brown, and she rightly gave her father the credit of having put an end to them. This was not all gain to Janet, for Mark was determined to marry her. He had not joined the Baptists for nothing ; he would not be made a fool of in this way; so he took to dogging her footsteps and waylaying her whenever she went out—his master’s absence from home, gave him plenty of leisure time. And on this account, and also because Janet knew Vera would be a friend to her, she ionged for the return of the T’empests. Meanwhile Vera was tasting the first real sorrow of her life at Avranches, There the Ryot Tempests were in daily intercourse with a Father Ambrose, curé of one of the churches, and an old and valued friend. He was a Frenchman, but had spent much of his life in England, and spoke English remarkably well. At this time he was about sixty years old; a tall, thin, ascetic-looking man with a refined face, and a kind, fatherly manner. He was on very intimate terms with the Tempests, and had known Vera from her birth. Indeed, he it was who married her father and mother, and ever since that, marriage they had met once a year. If the Ryot Tempests did not go to Avranches, Father Ambrose came to Woodford and stayed at the convent. He got on exceedingly well with Mr. Tempest, and was very proud of Vera and her mother. One day, soon after Captain Raleigh’s departure, these four made an excursion to some ruins, and Vera, who had been dreaming all day of Captain Raleigh, afterwards looked back upon that day as one of the happiest of her life. It was not till they returned home that the cloud arose which was to cast a dark shadow over it. On their arrival Mrs. Ryot Tempest was taken ill. At first her illness appeared to be only a bilious attack, and as she was often ill, neither Vera nor her father was alarmed. But on the third day, the doctor who had been called in told Mr. Tempest that it was no bilious attack ; the heart was the cause of the illness. Though his wife might rally and live for some years, she was in danger, and whilst this crisis lasted might go off at a moment’s notice. 4 Father Ambrose was at once sent for, and undertook to break to the patient the state she was in. But he found she was quite aware of her danger, and resigned to it, though for Vera’s sake she would ; . | | | | 4 CONNIECLOOKS. Ee) m