A Fair Fraud — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

68 A Fair Fraud against the root of a tree, and Kenneth put out his hand quickly and supported her— tenderly, as it seemed to the little watcher— and she saw their faces flush as their hands met for a moment. Marion turned and fled into the house. ‘He loves her!’ she said to herself. ‘I am sure he loves her! And how am I to deal him this dreadful blow? I cannot, I will not, ruin his happiness. Should I not earn his eternal hatred if I were to be the one to blacken the name of the girl he loves? I cannot, cannot do it!’ She almost ran against her aunt in the hail. ‘Well,’ cried Mrs Drury, ‘what does he say?’ Marion stopped dead short. - Qh, Aunt Fanny!’ she gasped, ‘I am so sorry. I—I quite forgot!’ “You forgot? What do you mean, child ?’ ‘I forgot to ask Cousin Kenncth. I forgot your message !’ | ‘Bless the girl! then what on earth have you been about all this time? You must have been gone twenty minutes at least, and, really, Marion, you look quite daft and silly; is any- thing the matter?’ . ‘No, nothing, nothing, Aunt Fanny,’ she faltered, her colour coming and going quickly, , only what you told me to do went clean out of my head! I can’t tell you how sorry I am.’ GOMMGIOO oO C' Q)