The Argosy — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

“ Glittering Gold.” 305 sufficiently to give me leave to try and win you for my wife? I have mever cared for any other woman before.” A gleam of pleasure flashed over his companion’s face as she listened to his simple, straightforward words, but there was no tremor in her voice as she answered them. “You do me far too much honour, Mr. Etheridge. I feel the full force of the compliment; but I assure you my newly-gained liberty is too precious to be sacrificed for any man living.” Mr. Etheridge looked closely into the girl’s face. Surely it was triumph, undisguised triumph, which lent that sparkle to her eyes and that flush to her cheeks ? “Do you mean to tell me,” he asked quietly, “that you have no regard whatever for me? that your looks and words through this past week have been just so many false beacons luring me on to make a fcol of myself ? ” “Oh, not a fool, Mr. Etheridge! It would be a very bad com- pliment to me to call yourself so hard a name just for paying a passing tribute to my poor attractions.” Miss Nellie smiled her brightest smile as she spoke, but Robert’s face only grew the colder and harder. “You have not yet answered my question. Have you, or have you not, any such regard for me as you have assuredly made me believe you had?” “Indeed, Mr. Etheridge, you have curiously deceived yourself 1 that is the interpretation you have placed on the ordinary civilities one shows to a pleasant travelling acquaintance.” Robert Etheridge turned on his heel, and without another word left her standing there alone. He went straight into the little parlour where Olive sat solitary in the twilight. ““Miss Branscombe,” he said, curtly, ‘‘your sister has fooled me to the top of her bent, and now I have got my dismissal. Good-bye. 4 shall be off in the morning before you are up.” In silence, and with down-dropped eyes, Olive gave him her hand, mor did she again look up till Mr. Etheridge had quitted the room. IV. “BE silent, Nellie. I will not hear another word about it. I tell you again, you are a shame and a misery to me!” ‘Dear me, what a storm in a tea-cup! And all because someone has dared to prefer my poor attractions to your own statuesque magnificence ! ” “You know you are speaking falsely. You have lured this man - on, as you have lured others before him, just as a sacrifice to your insatiable vanity. But it shall be for the last time. I have done my utmost to prevent this happening, and I warn you that the next time COnnIClOoOKS im