The Argosy — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksnuth. se without satisfying it; she baffled him; she made him feel she was cleverer than he: and he began to dislike her. She perceived it, and straightway set herself to conquer his dislike. As he receded, she advanced. So long as he had been her devoted slave she had not cared for him; while she was angling for him she had felt a keen interest, if nothing stronger, for him; once she had landed him she became indifferent to him. But now that he showed signs of jumping back into the river and escaping from her, her love of sport revived, and she was anxious to regain her hold upon him. From wishing to believe in Vera’s guilt, Mrs. Ryot-Tempest had found another step led her to actual belief, and that step had been taken during her interview with Mark that morning. She now firmly believed Mark’s story ; and, to do her justice, she sympathised with her husband; and if Vera could only be prevailed upon to give up Captain Raleigh and recall Mr. Hastings, she was quite willing to buy Mark’s silence and hush up the whole matter. She rose from her seat and moved towards the Archdeacon, who, however, shrank from her; so, clasping her white hands in front of her, she stood still, and, looking affectionately at him, said in a reproachful voice : ‘‘Ryot, this is a great trial; I wish to be as kind as I can be in the matter, and I assure you, you have my deepest sympathy. Do not refuse my help, poor as it is.” The Archdeacon iistened, and once again he thought he heard the voice of the charmer. Surely this was Mrs. Jamieson speaking, not his wife, whose voice he often dreaded since he had learnt its various inflections. She saw her advantage and immediately followed it up by running her arm through one of his. Stooping down till her head rested on his shoulder, she proceeded to give her coup-de-grace, as a sportsman will to a too-lively fish which threatens to jump from his basket. “ Ryot, dear, good may come out of this evil; make Vera promise to give up Captain Raleigh and marry Mr. Hastings, and in return promise her nothing more shall be said on this matter. We will buy Mark’s silence and hush it all up.” ‘““My dear Poppy,” interrupted the Archdeacon, before the actual blow was dealt, and his wife saw she was regaining ground rapidly. *“* My dear Poppy, there is, I am certain, nothing to hush up.” “Alas! Ryot, it 1s all too true. Reuben Foreman is Vera’s accomplice. He was with her in your study last evening, and Mark swears he saw her a few nights ago walking by the canal at the bottom of the drive with him in the middle of the night; and last night Mark found my empty jewel-case in the tree close to which he had seen them standing.” This was her coup-de-grace, but it was given in vain; the blow raissed its mark, her fish wriggled away from her. CoOnnicloooks (SO) am