The Argosy — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

194 The Village Blacksmuth. And as Vera lay crushed with the blow which struck her to the earth, she dimly realised how great were the powers of suffering which she possessed ; and she was frightened, for she did not know, or, if she knew she did not remember, that in equal ratio with the power of suffering goes the power of enjoyment. Suddenly she remembered the letter from Father Ambrose which she had received that morning, and as quickly she resolved what to do. She had still one true friend who would protect her within or nearly within reach; she would go to Avranches to him. She had made the journey so often with her parents that she was not in the least nervous at the thought of going alone without an escort. She rose and went to her bedroom to make the necessary prepara- tions, resolved to start before Mark returned; but she found the door locked, and she now realised that her step-mother was in earnest, and meant to do her utmost to prevent her escape. Vera, however, was not a girl to be conquered easily ; her spirit was roused ; the love of adventure latent in her awoke; her will was determined; she meant to escape; the want of a hat and cloak would not prevent her. | Fortunately she kept her money in her sitting-room, and as she counted out what she thought she would need for the journey, she remembered the Dominican habit and cloak of her Aunt Vera were in the oak chest. Quick as thought she opened it, and found the whole costume just as she had put it away that happy day, which seemed so long ago, when she had dressed up in it and taken her father in. ‘This was the very thing; it would disguise her com- pletely, if she put on a pair of spectacles. It was an out-door costume, and was warm. So, locking the door, she took off her dress and put on the white serge habit and scapular, the leathern girdle and rosary attached to it. ‘Then she took off her high-heeled shoes and, with a little grimace at their ugliness, drew on the orthodox white stockings and low leather shoes. Then she covered her pretty golden hair with the white linen cap, which covered her ears, and put the guimpe under her chin and the black veil over the cap. And then she looked in the glass and saw she made a very lovely nun. But the green spectacles she had worn before completed the disguise so entirely that no one who knew her would have recognised her. And, finally, throwing on the black cloak which the nuns wear in chapel in winter, or whenever they go outside their convent walls, Vera unlocked the door and ran swiftly and noiselessly downstairs. Her heart was beating wildly, but she reached the garden safely, meeting only Mary, who as we know did not recognise her, on the way. Once outside the house, she felt half the danger was over, for the chances of recognition were very small, and in England, at any rate, the fact of © one nun travelling by herself would occasion no remark. On her way to the station, to which she was hurrying to catch the up-train to London, she had a great alarm, for whom should she meet but Mark Brown and two policemen, evidently on their way up Gomilcbooks.co