Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

THE PROGRESS happy, uneasy, in some fear of something, either her uncle himself, or matter touching him. Presently the little scene in the bower fascinated me and at the same time filled me with a sense of—it could hardly be jealousy. Yei there was an empty gnaw- ing, as of hunger at the stomach, but the vacant ache was at my heart. For Richard Eveleigh was a very gallant uncle. If I had not previously heard him tell John Bunyan that he wes her uncle, I should have said to myself that he was making love to the lady. Repeatedly. he kissed her hand. As his gallantry became more pronounced -he sat ever nearer, and then— He placed an affectionate arm about her and imprinted a salute upon her fair cheek. As she did not protest or resist, sitting still with (I fancied) a growing pallor on her face, he was emboldened to attempt her. lips. Then she stirred. With a gesture of real or prétended coquetry she shielded her sweet mouth with her disengaged hand and rose to her feet. She spoke in a low, rapid tone, but still I could not distinguish more than a word or two. Clearly, however, she was: begging him to do that which he was not of a mind to do. Then, in her anxiety or despair, she raised her voice so that I heard clearly. “No, no, I beseech you! It is not seem- ly at this time, although you honor me be- yond expectation or deserving: I do beg that you will retire to the hall. But this hour you have narrowly escaped betrayal. Who knows that others do not spy upon the gardens at this moment? Within the week there was one whose intent I have yet wholly to learn.” | Even as she said this her eyes glanced at the tree in which I was hid. My heart gave a great leap, but the rest of me re- mained as still as a piece of dead wood. For the moment I thought she had caught a glimpse of me as she had of Jonas Sly- they that day; but then my better sense told me her glance was merely an involun- tary reaction of memory’s association. “Then even as you command, sweet niece,” said her gallant uncle with a laugh. 4 maty€+O ogle OF J. BUNYAN. 319 “In bower or in hall, by hill or dell—as you will. Where thou art, I am content to be. To the house, then, if by obedience I am not denied the heaven of thy presence.” “But nay!” she protested. ‘‘ Go alone, I prithee. I would fain rest a while here in the bower. I would take counsel with myself on what thou hast said—and other things that trouble me.” “Trouble thee, sweet!’ he cried in mock horror. “ Nay, there my tongue slipped. There- fore ha’ mercy on my confusion. I am but a poor maid. Leave me awhile if you do regard me as you say. Anon I shall return to the hall.” | ‘Then thy slave obeys,” s2id he, again bending and caressing her fingers with his lips. ‘“ Bide here if it is thy sweet pleas- ure, and ponder thy maiden perplexities. But leave me not too long out of the sun- - shine and—think well and in my favor, sweet Joyce.” With mixed feelings I watched his grace- ful and somewhat jaunty passage back to the manor-house, within which he disap- peared. Turning from contemplation of this amazing uncle, I looked down upon my lady in the bower. She sat very upright on the rustic beneh, her eyes gazing blankly before her, her face pale and somehow stony in its setness, her hands lying limply in her lap. For a full minute she sat thus, a figure.of cold despair, it seemed to me. Then her stoniness melted. Her lips quivered, her face began to work as if she battled with some inward tempest of emo- tion, and all at once Mistress Joyce Eve- leigh laid her shapely, smooth arms upon the weather-worn table, slowly lowered her queenly head upon them; and presently I needed no visible evidence that she was sobbing her heart out in that bower. In that moment my old failing seized possession of me—a blind anger, a blind desire of violence against whatever or who- ever caused my lady’s grief. I acted upon the accompanying impulse before I could take counsel with judgment. Down from that tree I dropped to the ground on the garden side of the wall. A — dozen swift strides brought me to the bow- — rs UNAS ae DOO So C@