The Argosy — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

108 The Village Blacksmith. ‘‘We can discover no traces of the thieves, Poppy,” he said, sinking wearily into the first chair he came to. ‘‘T am not surprised, though the thief is probably not very far off. Shut the door, Archdeacon, please ; I have something very important to say to you.” ‘Certainly, my dear; certainly ; but will you excuse me for one . moment? I want just to see how Vera is first,” said the Archdeacon, rising and moving towards the door. ‘‘ Never mind her just now; she’s asleep, so there is no need to disturb her,” said his wife, anxious to prevent the Archdeacon from seeing Vera, and hearing her version of what had occurred before he heard Mark’s story. “‘T am glad of that. Poor child, what a narrow escape she has had. I can scarcely realise what a providential thing it is that she was not shot. By the way, I hear Mark is wounded ; is it serious?” said the Archdeacon, shutting the door and resuming his seat when he heard Vera was asleep. There was a fire in the room and he was sitting in front of it, while Mrs. Ryot-Tempest, with her feet on the fender, was lounging in an easy-chair, still in her dinner-dress. ** Most fortunately his wound does not appear dangerous at present ; he has a bullet in his left arm ; happily for us all it is not in a vital part. It is a terrible business, Archdeacon ; a terrible business,” said Mrs. Ryot-Tempest, rising to her feet as she spoke and gazing into the fire as she stood leaning on the chimney-piece with one foot on the fender. “Tt is, indeed, my dear; your diamonds are a most serious loss; I can but regret that you were not guided by me when I advised you to send them to the bank,” said the Archdeacon, unable to resist this reproach. ‘Oh! as for the diamonds, they are the least part of the terrible trouble that has come to us; as far as they are concerned they are gone, and there is an end of them; it is Mark’s wound which dis- tresses me far more than my diamonds.” “That is very kind of you, Poppy, but I imagine from what you tell me, Mark’s wound is not serious; probably in a few weeks he will be quite well; meanwhile we must do all we can to recover your jewels.” ‘We must do nothing of the kind; the less we say or do about them the better. Unfortunately for us, Mark is not disposed to be sO magnanimous asIam. He is fully determined to prosecute his assailant for wounding with intent to kill, and no amount of per- suasion or bribery will hinder him from so doing,” said Mrs. Ryot- Tempest, speaking sharply and with great decision. ‘“‘But who is he to prosecute? we have no clue to the person,” demanded the Archdeacon. ‘I beg your pardon, the person is in this very house,” said Mrs. GOMIGDOOKS (Elo)