The Argosy — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksmith. 369 occasion were dispensed with, as the Archdeacon was anxious to get to the police-court in good time. He said nothing to his wife about Mark’s frustrated attempt at escape ; indeed, breakfast was eaten as most of their meals now were, in almost dead silence, except that to-day Mrs. Ryot-Tempest was so struck with the Archdeacon’s pallor that she urged him to make a good breakfast, and suggested he was not well enough to go to the trial. “T am not well, but I am going,” said the Archdeacon, quietly, but in so decided a tone that his wife knew he meant to go if he died in the Court, and he looked so ill that she half-feared he might do so. A fit of compunction seized her. It was in her power to remove a great part of his anxiety ; it was her duty to do so, for had she not vowed to comfort him in trouble? It was also her secret wish, for since the Archdeacon had treated her with this cold civility, she longed to bring him back to her feet. She looked at him again and saw how ill and careworn he looked, and she resolved to tell him something that would prove that Vera was innocent of the robbery. She rose from her seat and went to his end of the table ; she was pale and the white hand she laid on his chair trembled, for she was a proud woman, and the confession she was about to make required a great effort. “ Ryot, Ihave something to say to you,” she began, when the door opened and the butler announced : : “If you please, sir, Captain Raleigh is in your study.” At this announcement the demon of jealousy awoke again within her, and removing her hand she went back to her seat with a look of malicious anger on her face, saying as she went : “It is of no consequence ; another time will do,” And that confession was not made. CHAPTER -X X X-PFF. THE NEW WITNESS. ‘WHAT an utter fool!” The speaker was Mrs. Ryot-Tempest ; the person she alluded to in these flattering terms was Maik Brown; the occasion was his attempted escape, an account of which Holmes had just given her mistress while dressing her for the trial. By an effort of self-control such as she seldom exercised, Mrs. Ryot-Tempest had denied herself the pleasure of being present when the Vicar’s case was heard, wisely considering it would have been, to say the least, very bad taste on her part to be present: and she was one of those people who are seldom guilty of any breach of good taste. Like many worldly people, she would rather have broken any com- mandment in the decalogue than sin against the laws of society ; and VOL, XLVIII, Z CORNICLIOO <S (SO) am