A Fair Fraud — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

188 A Fair Fraud by Kenneth Drury’s side along the high road. For the moment the two were alone. He glanced at his companion curiously. Kenneth looked gloomy and miserable, and Naylor said to himself that Marion was right, Hester had not rescinded her refusal. Captain Drury did not look in the least like a happy and success- ful lover—quite the contrary, in fact. How- ever, he had determined to be quite sure of it. ‘Am I to congratulate you, Ken?’ he asked tentatively. Captain Drury turned round upon him almost savagely. ‘Yes, old chap, congratulate me by all means —upon having had a narrow escape.’ ‘A narrow escape!’ repeated Naylor in genuine amazement; for this reply was cer- tainly wholly unexpected. ‘From what have you escaped, my dear fellow ?’ ‘From marrying a woman who wants noth- ing but my money.’ | Naylor uttered a low whistle of astonishment. ‘You don't say so?’ at last he formed words to say.. ‘ How on earth did you find it out?’ ‘Because she is in such a veritable hole that, although she refused to marry me yesterday afternoon, she yet had the conscience and the brass in the evening to ask me to lend hera considerable sum of money.’ GORMGIOO