A Fair Fraud — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 89 thing about her father is known to someone staying in the house, and that the only con- dition that their secret will be respected is that she refuses Captain Drury when he proposes to her. If she refuses him, and she and her mother leave the house as soon as possible, then they may go their way in peace, and may call themselves ‘‘ Lane,” or any other name they please, to the end of the chapter—as far as I am concerned at least. You see this is a woman's task, not a man’s, Miss Blake.’ ‘It is too hard a task, Mr Naylor. I can- not possibly undertake it,’ said Marion, with decision. ‘I don't-see why you should not, and there is every reason why you should. You are presumably fond of Mr and Mrs Drury, and, perhaps—of your cousin also—at least, | imagine that you must have his interests at heart ?’ And Mr Naylor said to himself that the little discovery he had just made must surely enlist this girl wholly and entirely in the cause he pleaded. It was not in the feminine nature of things that she should desire to see Kenneth marry another woman, if his surmise was correct that she took a more than cousinly interest in him herself. And although he ought to have been glad of it, he experienced an unaccount- able sense of irritation and annoyance at this COMNMUC JOO <S (GO) uu