A Fair Fraud — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

38 A Fair Fraud Marion remained spellbound—she could not take her eyes from that changed face which had assumed for the moment the glaring con- trast of a clown’s painted mask. Mrs Lane cast a furtive look round the table, then, believing herself unobserved, she tore open the letter she had selected from the rest, and ran her eyes rapidly down the first page; then she crushed it up hurriedly in her hand, and stuffed it into her pocket; after that she lifted her cup and drank two or three long gulps of tea, and then the natural colours returned slowly to her face, and the scarlet splashes on her cheeks and lips melted back gradually into the normal flesh tints of her ordinary complexion. Presently her voice rose clear and gay as usual. ‘What a lovely morning! I lope you are going to take us out on the ice very soon, Captain Drury. Hetty and I are looking forward so much to the skating you have promised us—do not let us waste this beautiful winter sunshine.’ ‘I am at your orders whenever you like to start, Mrs Lane,’ replied the young man. ‘The lake is quite close to the house; you can see the corner af it out of these windows—down there in that dip inthe park. I am ready to start as soon as you and Miss Lane like to go out. ‘That will be as soon as_ possible after GOMMGIOO oO C' Q)