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

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

180 The Village Blacksmith. for Janet, an almost insane hatred of his fair young mistress, who he knew despised and disliked him. Vera was very sincere, consequently she showed her likes and dis- likes very strongly, but she was quite unconscious of the hatred she had inspired in Mark’s bosom, though had she known it, it would never have troubled her, for it would not have occurred to her that her father’s groom could exercise any influence over her life. Yet destiny had decreed that influence should be a very remarkable one. Vera’s thoughts, however, were occupied by a far more interesting subject than Mark Brown, for Mr. Ryot Tempest’s letter was to say Captain Raleigh hoped to be in the neighbourhood very shortly, and would do himself the pleasure of renewing their acquaintance. He was true to his word, and the acquaintance very quickly ripened into friendship, for Captain Raleigh soon let it be known his object in coming to that part of the world was to be near Vera. He was staying at the only decent hotel in the nearest town, but most of his time was spent at the Rectory, or rather with Vera, with whom he rode or walked every day. At first Mr. Ryot Tempest accompanied them, but his equestrian powers were not great and their pace did not suit him; so reflecting that Captain Raleigh was one of the Raleighs, and consequently a cousin of the Ryots, he allowed Vera to accompany him without a ‘‘ chaperon.” One Saturday afternoon about ten days after Captain Raleigh’s arrival, he and Vera started off for a walk, while Mr. Ryot Tempest paid his usual weekly visit to Mrs. Jamieson. It was a lovely autumn day, the trees which clothed the hill- eo sides had lost most of their leaves ; what remained were of gorgeous ® tints of red and yellowand gold and russet browns, varied frequently by the blue-greens of the Scotch firs, while the ground beneath — them was thickly strewn with fallen leaves gleaming golden in the sunshine, A purple haze over the distant hills contrasted finely — with all these golden reds, but though a great admirer of Nature , in all her moods, Captain Raleigh was too much occupied with his own thoughts and with Jooking at Vera’s graceful figure, clad in its deep mourning, to pay any heed to the scenery till she called his | attention to it. He was in a languid mood to-day, for the first time. since his arrival, so Vera determined to take it out of him by suggesting they should mount the opposite hill. ‘“We will go up behind the convent; that will be new to you.” ‘Not quite, I have been as far as the convent before,” said. Captain Raleigh, quietly. Vera wondered rather at this, and it certainly never occurred to her that he had been to the chapel adjoining it to hear mass thaty very morning: for it was All Saints’ Day. “But not beyond? We will go up to the top, then, through that wood ; there is a very pretty view of our church a little above the. GomiGcvdooks.com