A Fair Fraud — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

130 A Fair Fraud perate—a disreputable object altogether. He had entered upon one of the long straight walks that had been cut through the thick unlergrowth of the woods for the special pur- pose of pheasant driving. There were a good many of these avenues through Mr Drury’s woods, and they generally intersected each other at right angles so as to encompass the . whole area of the wooded district. Mr Hicks had not proceeded far when he perceived a lady and a gentleman standing together a little ahead of him in earnest conversation. Mr Hicks dived quickly into the underwood and hid himself behind a holly bush. . He was too far from them to hear what they said, and they were too much absorbed with their own con- versation to be aware of his proximity. The gentleman held the girl's hands in his, and tried to draw her gently towards him; but presently she wrenched her hands away, and, turning from him abruptly, ran quickly down the walk t..wards Mr Hicks in his hi!ing-place ; then her companion, after watchin her for a few minutes, walked quickly away in the oppo- site direction, and disappeared down one of the converging alleys of the wood. Hester was very much agitated, the tears were pouring clown her che ks, and she sobbed convulsively as she ran. Mrs Andrew's lodger had not seen her since she was a little girl but GOMMGIOO <S (GO) uu