A Daughter of Delilah — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

“YT MUST BUY THE PAINTED JEZEBEL!” — 107 The clerk retired, and St. Leonards faced the financier. ‘Mr. Alston, I would not employ one minute of your time if I did not think it absolutely necessary,’’ his lord- ship said. ‘‘You may think that I am presumptuous to in- terfere in what may, after all, be purely a family matter; but I have not lost sight of the fact that you have confided to me some of your desires—that some day I may win the hand of your beauteous daughter. ”’ Jabez Alston smiled pleasantly, but he felt apprehensive. ‘‘What I have to say, sir, concerns your son. I regret almost that he should have confided in me, because it is my duty to at once inform you that he fancies himself in love with an actress—not only that, he is determined to marry her, and this evening will ask for your permission and. a suitable settlement. ’’ ‘‘Great Hleaven!’’ gasped the financier. ‘‘You must meet him coolly—calmly—firmly. Do not let him suspect that I have done otherwise than break the news gently to you. I told him that it was my duty to do this.’ “Thank you, my lord—thank you!”’ Jabez Alston paced the floor in a frenzy of passion. ‘An actress!’’ he muttered. ‘‘The fool—the fool! I must take him away—or buy her off.”’ Then he turned to St. Leonards. ‘‘What kind of creature is this actress, my lord?”’ ‘(A handsome woman. I wasin love with her myself once, bah Jove! or thought I was. There! Ido not think that I need waste more of your time, Mr. Alston. You are now prepared to meet Edgar. It would have been awkward to have the bomb hurled at you unawares!’ Gomicboo CS (E() =)