A Fair Fraud — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 267 but the long days of slow convalescence had been days of thought and of repentance. She had learnt to judye her mother leniently and to see many excuses for her past life, an-I she had learnt te regard her own share in that life with shame and contrition. ‘I am not fit to be any man’s wife,’ she had said to Marion in those early days when her friend had found her out at the hospital; bu: Marion, naturally, had laughed that idea to scorn. It was impossible for a woman to be happy without a husband, had been Marion’s contention, and why should not Hester enjoy the same bliss that she did herself? For these were in the very early days of Marion’s married life, and she was in the first {lush of !:er new joy. She was very busy, too, decorating and furnishing her pretty house in South Kensing- ton—evyerything, in short, was couleur de rose with Marion at that time. Nevertheless, in all. er OWN new joys and occupations, Mrs Naylor did not forzet her friend. She visited Hester daily at the hospital, and flowers and fruit and books innumerable found their way to the invalid’s sick couch, Then came a day at last when Hester was pronounced well enough to leave the hospital, and. the question then arose as to where she was to go. ‘ Back to the lodgings, I suppose,’ said Hester, wearily. GORMGIOO oO G' Q)