The Argosy — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksmith. IOL thinking that evening, she rose in her sleep, and slipping on her dressing-gown and slippers, lighted a candle, unlocked her door gently and crept down the landing to the dressing-room, the door of which she found ajar. At that moment she heard carriage-wheels in the drive, and knowing her father was not home, she paused a moment 2s the wheels approached the house, and then she pushed the door open and entered the room. This was no dream; it actually happened; she did all she dreamt she had done and remembered it perfectly when she awoke. ‘This took place about half-past twelve o’clock. But before following Vera into the dressing-room, we must explain what brought the Archdeacon and his wife home two hours earlier than they were expected. It was a very small cause, but then momentous events often spring from very small causes. This was nothing greater than a hole in one of the Archdeacon’s silk stockings. The dinner had passed off without a hitch ; the new Archdeacon had received as much attention from his noble host and hostess as he could desire; in fact, he was the hero of the evening, the honoured guest of the party, and re- ceived many congratulations on his promotion: congratulations which his wife shared, for it was well known her influence with her cousin, the Bishop, had more to do with the appointment than the Arch- deacon’s scholarship on which he was so wont to pride himself. About eleven o’clock the reception which followed the dinner- party began, and, as the rooms began to fill, the Archdeacon found himself the centre of a group of clerical friends, all anxious, more or less, to curry favour with him. As he stood talking, Mrs. Ryot Tempest, seated on a sofa which enabled her to obtain a full view of him, was glancing at him proudly and at the same time critically, when she suddenly saw to her horror that one of his, or rather her stockings worn by him was split at the seam. It was a small hole but distinctly visible, and, as she satisfied herself, though small it was increasing. She instantly decided that he must be taken away before anyone else noticed it; such a contretemps would entirely spoil his archidiaconal triumph. If the hole were discovered the stockings would bring ridicule on the Archdeacon. The Archdeacon if allowed to remain much longer would bring ridicule on his office, for in his elated state he was certain to air both his classics and his ancestors, and his pretended scholarship was as great a joke in the county as the pedigree of the Ryots and the noble connections of the Tempests. Clearly, then, she must take him home at once; but to accomplish this a little artifice was necessary, as it was too early to leave without an excuse. Needless to say Mrs. Ryot-Tempest was quite equal to an occasion of this kind. She swam gracefully through the reception-rooms, pausing here and there to tell people she hated how delighted she was to see them, till she reached the entrance hall, where, sinking on to a sofa, she sent one footman to order her carriage and another to Gomicbooks aa (©) am