The Argosy — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

32 The Results of a Hunt Week. garment. Instead of that, he ‘‘rose to the surface” with a gold bracelet set with diamonds in his hand, picked up on the lady’s voluminous train. The pair were good friends, and it was an under- stood jest between them that he should address her in terms of bombastic adulation. ‘Allow me to restore these beautiful gems,” he said, a la Sir Percie Shafton, ‘to their more brilliant owner.” ‘Well, you will have no hindrance from me in doing so,” she said, ‘since the bracelet is not mine. It must have dropped on my dress, and I know whose it is. It belongs to Lady Heliotrope.” ‘Not to you, alas! But you are right as ever, for I think she is already looking for it,” said he. Anda few yards off, indeed, a sweet- faced dowager was directing a search among some gentlemen near. Mrs. Prideaux-Power and her companion were advancing with the treasure trove, when they had to pass behind Mr. Seaton, who uncon- sciously blocked the way. ‘‘ What a joke it would be to pop it into his pocket and let it be found there,” whispered Charley to his friend. ‘No, no; it would be too bad, and he would be furious,” she answered in the same tone, but with a smile that weakened the force of her words. | Practical jokes savoured too much of the rash not to have attrac- tions for the hair-brained Poindexters. It was not in Charley Byce’s nature to resist the slope of folly when encouraged by a lady’s smile. “Yes, yes, you mean,” said he; ‘‘ why, we can explain it all after- wards.” And suiting the action to the word, he dropped the bracelet into a pocket of Mr. Seaton’s from which a handkerchief protruded. Once committed, Mrs. Prideaux-Power entered with energy into the acting. ‘What is the hunt for?” she said, advancing to Lady Heliotrope. ‘For a bracelet of mine, dear,” explained that lady innocently. ‘‘ It was on my arm, I am positive, ten minutes ago, and it cannot be far off, for I have not been near the other end of the room lately.” With a rapid glance Mrs. Prideaux-Power had ascertained that the sroup around was composed only of a few intimates, or at a public ball even she must have forbidden so risky a jest. As it was, she saw no time was to be lost or the matter would get wind further afield. ‘Why, Lady Heliotrope,” she said, ‘‘ I vote you institute a search in the gentlemen’s pockets. Someone may be detaining it as a souvenir of you, you know!” ‘That is scarcely likely,” laughed Lady Heliotrope, who had willingly left her youth far behind her. And Godfrey, who was beside her, added: *‘ It would be more to the point to look about us a little more.” At a hint from Mrs. Prideaux: Power, however, that some joke was a-foot they paused. ‘ GomilcbooksiTco