The Curse Upon Mitre Square — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

19 fHE CURSE UPON MITRE SQUARE. ‘danger in this partiality. Handcock would never recognise that of all his flock the latest comer was the most liable to err; never could he bring himself to believe that the neophyte might not be a saint; the young man was never suspected, a cloak of protection was thrown over him, and he felt secure from punishment. Now if the neophyte was a good man, as of course was generally the case, all was well ; if, however, as must sometimes happen in every institution, he was a black sheep, his misdeeds were. often undiscovered and, if possible, overlooked, and thereby likely to bring great disgrace on the monastery. In the year before this narrative commences a young man of great promise entered the Priory of Holy Trinity. Huis appearance attracted attention, and -when he conversed he infatuated his hearers with the eloquence and charm of his discourse. Of spare frame, though not short, he looked delicate, but the head bespoke great power, and — told of strong passion, and no unusual capacity for good or evil. . Martin, for such was his name, was very dark, with thick black hair, eyebrows that met and gave to the face a somewhat sinister look, which was partly corrected by the perfectly straightforward- looking blue eyes, which is occasionally seen in very dark persons. ‘The nose was aqui'ine, but too thin, and the mouth, the worst feature in the face, firmly closed and not unfrequently hidden by the hand. This was the more curious, as Martin GEomicbooks co m