The Argosy — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

104 The Village Blacksmith. © My child! my child! what has happened?” gasped the Arch- deacon, glancing anxiously at the now unconscious Vera. No one could answer this question; the frightened servants were too terrified to speak coherently. Mrs. Tempest’s maid, Holmes, alone had the presence of mind to help the Archdeacon to place Vera on the floor, and then to call for water, being too nervous to fetch any herself. Before any one had the courage to obey Holmes’s order Mrs. Ryot- Tempest reached the top of the stairs, looking as black as thunder. ‘What is the meaning of all this uproar in the middle of the night ?” she asked coldly, glancing at the unconscious Vera with a look of unmistakable aversion. ‘We don’t know, my dear; there was a pistol fired just as I en- tered the house, and Vera fainted in my arms,” said the Archdeacon. “ Really, Archdeacon, I wonder you have not more presence of mind! Pray let the house be searched instead of every one staring at a fainting girl, Carry Vera to her room, and let Holmes attend to her, and the rest of you search the house,” said Mrs. Ryot-Tempest, sweeping down the landing to her own room followed by the butler and cook, while Mary and the Archdeacon carried Vera to her room. A minute later a cry of ‘‘ Thieves ! thieves ! thieves!” rang through the house, as Mrs. Ryot-Tempest discovered her jewel-case was stolen, and that Mark was lying wounded on the floor of the dressing- room, which she had entered attracted by the light and his groans. All was now confusion worse confounded ; a domestic chaos ruled the Rectory world. But as in larger worlds chaos gradually resolved itself into order, so the panic-stricken household by degrees separated itself into groups. ‘The Archdeacon and most of the servants rushed wildly about the house, searching in the least likely places for the robbers; Holmes and Mary remained with Vera; and Mrs. Ryot- Tempest devoted herself to the suffering Mark, to whom no one else vouchsafed the least attention, though he was still lying on the floor where he had fallen. He had taken advantage of the few minutes which elapsed be- tween the shot which wounded him and the entrance of his mistress to decide upon his course of action, and part of his plan was to ex- aggerate his wounds. The other part was very simple, it was merely to invert the truth and maintain that he surprised Vera in stealing the jewels, adding that she fired at him with intent to kill him, and thus get rid of the only witness against her. By this means he would divert all suspicion from himself; he would be able to pose as a faithful servant; and, above all, he would revenge himself on Vera. He had a difficult game to play, he knew, and he was no means sure of winning; but he felt certain he had a powerful ally in Mrs. Ryot- Tempest, who he hoped would believe his story and not Vera’s, against whom the circumstantial evidence was strong. The diamonds were gone. Mark was prepared to swear he had CONNIELOOO KS 5(eo)