The Craze of Christina — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

The Craze of Christina. 93 out of the three years of enforced bachelorhood which Clifford was doomed to spend at Essel- ton; that was why she wished to pose to-day as the principal lady friend of the wealthy host. Hitherto bachelors in Middleshire had been rare. Whenever an unlucky man had appeared on the scenes, an occasional military son or brother on leave, or some well-to-do city man on hunting intent, all the matrons with mar- riageable daughters had swooped down upon their prey in no time, and had speedily con- verted him into a Benedict of the mildest and most down-trodden description. Now a young married woman with private aspirations of her own, gets no sort of fun or advantage out of a newly caught husband. Bachelors are the men for her; and such a rich bachelor as this one, ought certainly to be pro- ductive of most enjoyable and delightful good times to the clever matron who should set about encompassing her ends in a delicate and dex- terous manner. Mrs. Bruhen wanted lots of nice things from Mark Clifford. Dinners, luncheons, fruit, flow- ers and game, mounts in the hunting season, trips up to London in the summer, operas and plays preceded by excellent dinners at expen- sive restaurants. She would not indeed be GComichooksnco