A Fair Fraud — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 229 become rather thick and confused at this point, and Marion turned away in disgust and anger. ‘May I never set eyes on that horrible little cad again!’ she thought, as «he beat a hasty retreat ; but she could still hear him muttering after her as she fled up the staircase.. ‘Good job I did shoot the chap, as it turns out! A dirty convict fellow the earth’s well rid of! and a nice friend you've picked up with in that girl, miss! Nothing better than jail bird I call her; callin’ herself a lady, and | stoppin’ in a decent house under a sham name! A nice lot you all are here! I thought | should meet a good set of tip-top girls at a house like this, and I find nothin’ better than | a convict’s daughter and a common companion ! Shows what a swindle high society is!’ At the top of the staircase there was a wide, square landing that was furnished with divans and embellished with hothouse plants on stands, so that it was almost used as a room, and here Marion found her aunt, sitting alone in her misery. | Poor Mrs Drury was in a terrible state of distress and disturbance—her cap was awry, her shawl was slipping off her shoulders, and a wisp of grey hair had escaped from its fastenings and wandered limply down the side of her cheek and neck. ‘Oh, Marion!’ she exclaimed, drawing her GORMGIOO