The Craze of Christina — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

62 The Craze of Christina. ‘*I—had certainly thought of it.”’ ‘*Well, considering the nicknames you have already earned for yourself in the neighborhood you are really not so bad!”’ ‘*Nicknames?—what nicknames?’’ asked Clif- ford quickly, with a heightened color; he had a constitutional horror of being laughed at. **Why, we all call you the misanthrope or the woman-hater,’’ replied Mrs. Bruhen. “People about here fancy you are going to be no more use than your old uncle was!”’ ‘*Have I done anything to deserve so cruel a reproach?”’ he inquired. ‘“‘Everything, [ should say, or rather — nothing! Pray recall the incidents of our first visit to you. Why, no other woman in the country has dared to come near you since.’’ **You have talked about it, then?’’ **Why, of course! women always talk. Look here, this is the gate of my house; so come in now and have some tea and be introduced to my old man and I'll forgive you! Now you can’t possibly refuse, so don’t look as if you were going to say ‘No.’ If you can lunch with the Ommaneys you can have a poor little cup of tea with me—in return for that nice lunch in town you promised me, and that you threw me over about—do you remember?”’ . Comichooks: co