The Argosy — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksmith. 107 London. Still it was possible he might be able to turn his disap- pointment to good account; for if, as he began to suspect, Mark Brown had deceived him and stolen the diamonds, he intended to turn Queen’s evidence. For the present, however, he could do nothing except leave Wood- ford, where he was “‘ wanted” for assaulting Vera; so he started that night for London, walking to a distant station to catch an early train. In London he would be safer than anywhere else. Moreover, he would be able to watch all the papers, and no doubt the jewel robbery would be in them in a day or two. So, as Mark was riding back to the Rectory, Freeman, inwardly cursing him with all his heart, was on his way to London. CHAPIER Xl Vv. MARK’S REVENGE. Mrs. Ryot-Trempest, though a clever woman, had a very difficult task to perform. She wanted to retain her power over the Arch- deacon, and at the same time to persuade him Vera had stolen her diamonds and shot Mark Brown. Fortunately for her purpose, Mark Brown was wounded; still more fortunately, he was prepared to swear Vera had wounded him; and, best of all, he was deter- mined to prosecute her for so doing. If he could only be kept up to this, it might be possible to hush up the loss of the diamonds, and thus enable her to pose as a self-sacrificing victim, whose devotion to her husband prevented her from prosecuting his daughter, which she had decided to refuse to do. At any rate, her present course was to make as much fuss about Mark’s wound and as little fuss about the diamonds as possible. She had need of all the wit she possessed to win the game she was playing. Her first and most difficult move was to persuade the Archdeacon that Vera was guilty. Having succeeded with him, there remained public opinion and Captain Raleigh to overcome; and, of the two, the latter would be the more difficult to convince. The proverb, “Throw mud, and some is sure to stick,” is true; and she had little doubt that if the case got into the papers, there would be plenty of people who would believe in Vera’s guilt, but that Captain Raleigh would be the last person in the world, except Mrs. Canter, to do so. It was very late, and Mrs. Ryot-Tempest was very sleepy, but bed was not to be thought of until she had apprised the Archdeacon of his daughter’s crime. Accordingly, when Mark went to the doctor, she sent a peremptory message to the Archdeacon to come at once to her room. The little man obeyed promptly, evidently remember- ing, in his maturity, one of the maxims drilled into him in his youth: “Do as you are bid, and do it at once.” COMmMicoooks.c®