A Fair Fraud — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

150 A Fair Fraud Miss Lane had sunk into a chair, and a few heartrending sobs broke from her lips. ‘Oh! you are hard upon me!’ she cried bitterly, ‘but you do not know. If you did know, if you understood at all what is before me, what I have got to do, then I feel sure you would pity me! Qh, do not be afraid, Marion, your cousin will not wish to marry me any longer—not after this evening. Only do me this one service that I ask of you—tell him to come to me here. I am obliged to speak to him, and it must be secretly. I dare not sendaservant ; my mother would find out that I had left my room, and things would be far more difficult. As it ts, I have locked my bedroom door and taken away the key. If mamma goes upstairs she will be- lieve me to be asleep, and she will never think of looking for me here. Can you not watch in the hall till the gentlemen come out from the dining-room and waylay Captain Drury ?’ ‘Yes, I can do that, certainly,’ replied Marion, reluctantly. She saw that, despite her tears and excitement, Hester was determined to see Kenneth, for some reason she was unable to fathom, and she perceived that nothing she her- self could say would alter her decision. What she feared was that by taking such a step she would forfeit for ever her lover's respect and affection. ~ Kenneth Drury was a man who would never GOMMGIOO <S (GO) uu