The Argosy — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

262 A Lady’s Privilege. have I to complain? I have never told her I loved her, never given her the slightest reason to suspect t “Tf your tongue hasn’t, your eyes have,” coolly interrupted Long Odds, ‘“‘and whatever defects the young lady may be afflicted with, blindness isn’t one of them. So cheer up; it’s not all plain sailing between the start and the finish, and a race is never lost till it’s won.” It was impossible to resist such good-humoured philosophy, and when the pair separated for the night, Trevor felt half disposed to admit, in his companion’s peculiar phraseology, that ‘“ the horse which gets off first doesn’t always catch the judge’s eye.” After an early breakfast the Admiral and his guests, with the excep- tion of Travers, started off for a long day’s work in the home copse, and found their anticipations of excellent sport most satisfactorily verified. In less than three hours the bags were filled to overflowing, and by the time the last cartridge had been expended, the quantity of pheasants, hares and rabbits lying about in the vicinity of the “warm” corner would have sufficed to stock the Leicester market for at least a week. A large proportion of these had fallen to the Honourable Walter’s gun, and he was consequently in high spirits on returning to the house a little in advance of the others. ‘Any more people coming to dinner to-day?” he asked the butler, who was putting the finishing touch to the tea-table in the hall. “No, sir,” replied Gilson, ‘fone less; Captain Travers is gone, sir.” “Gone! Where to?” ‘Town, sir, I believe. Said he’d had a telegram, but no one seems to know who brought it. Anyhow, that’s what the Captain said, sir.” “ Bowled out!” muttered Noland to himself. ‘‘ Did you hear that, Jack?” he said aloud, as his friend appeared in the doorway. “Hear shat?” “That Travers has bolted !” fe By.jove !,” It is quite conceivable, his peculiar temperament taken into con- sideration, that Trevor, although greatly relieved by his rival’s depar- ture, should on that very account have felt by no means exempt from apprehension on his own score. Nevertheless, taking advantage of a moment when Sybil and he were alone in the course of the evening, he summoned up courage to solicit an interview with her on the following day, to which she at once acceded without any apparent surprise, saying that he would find her at half-past twelve in the morning-room. At that hour, he reflected, there was little risk of their being interrupted: the Hawbucks had settled to leave by an early train for the North, the two old ladies never appeared before luncheon, and Mrs. Pemberton, after speeding the parting guests, GEomichbooks.co