The Craze of Christina — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

The Craze of Christina. 159 as yet. For, as it will have been suspected, Calais was only the stepping-stone to further developments of a more daring nature. “*At any rate, it will serve as a test of his sincerity,’ she thought. They were walking back silently towards the station buildings. Clifford looked ‘profoundly miserable. . ‘Before you go,’’ he said at last, ‘“‘I want at least to say to you one thing. Iam the most unfortunate of men in that I am unable to do what I most wish to do—I cannot carry out my dearest wishes in this matter.”’ ‘““T find that rather difficult to believe, Mr. Clifford! Are you not free, rich, independent?” ‘“‘Free I may seem to be, rich I am, but inde- pendent I am certainly not. My butler, Docker——’”’ “Oh! don’t, Mr. Clifford!’ and Chris stood still and burst out laughing; ‘‘don’t bring in your butler! What has he got to do with me?”’ ‘‘Everything, since he is an enemy to me and to the woman I| love!’’ replied the young man gloomily. “*Send him away, then.”’ ‘“‘T cannot. He is fixed upon me for life; if I send him away I lose a considerable sum of money.” Comichooksico