The Argosy — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

370 The Village Blacksmith. though she had little or no control over her temper and her tongue, and never crossed her own inclinations in matters which come under any spiritual jurisdiction, she was nevertheless capable of enduring martyrdom rather than be guilty of bad form. It was a case, one of many, of misapplied force. Her preparations for attending the trial were as elaborate as if she were the criminal: Holmes accompanied her armed with a smelling-bottle, a fan, eau-de-cologne, a flask of wine and some sandwiches ; her dress was plain but handsome, and she wore a thick veil to hide her face, lest she should be betrayed into showing more feeling than was compatible with good breeding. Two places had been secured for her and her maid, and she rustled into Court just as the magistrates took their seats. Mark Brown was on a platform opposite the bench with a policeman on each side of him, looking as he felt—the most miserable person in the room. , The Archdeacon, Captain Tempest and Captain Raleigh were seated together near the bench. Below them was Mr. Deedes, in apparently excellent spirits; and by his side sat Freeman, whom, however, no one but Reuben and Mark recognised. Once again that day Mrs. Ryot-Tempest noticed that her husband looked very pale ; once again her conscience pricked her and she longed to lessen the burden she knew he was carrying ; but she could not get near him now to speak to him had she wished to do so, and the wish was a very fleeting one, dispelled by the sight of Mrs. Canter, whose portly figure and shining face next caught her eye. ‘‘What does that busy, impertinent woman mean by coming here to-day?” thought Mrs. Ryot-Tempest. Apparently that ‘‘ busy, impertinent woman” meant to observe her critic attentively, for Mrs. Canter’s eyes were fixed on Mrs. Ryot- Tempest during the whole proceedings, to the exceeding indignation of that lady, who frowned and fidgeted in vain under the scrutiny to which she was subjected. Indeed, so far were her frowns and her obvious discomfort from checking Mrs. Canter’s stare, they seemed to encourage it; as indeed they did, for the principal object of Mrs. Canter’s life that day was a strict observation of every change in Mrs, Ryot-Tempest’s countenance, She had come from Marling with the deliberate intention of watching her most closely, and no frowns would deter her from achieving her object. On the contrary, if she annoyed Mrs. Ryot-Tempest by staring at her, all the better: she was delighted to find she could inflict some annoyance upon her, as a slight and wholly inadequate punishment for her conduct to Vera ; so she continued to stare in the coolest and most bare-faced manner. Once or twice Reuben, who was sitting by her side, nudged her and whispered “ Mind your stops, Norah;” but all the heed Mrs. Canter paid was to continue to stare complacently at her adversary and to say aloud: Comicbooks.com