The Dugdale Millions — page 305: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXX. HAROLD'S PROOF. Mrs. STANTON was much alarmed by the ane nouncement that Harold Pierson was again to visit “The Larches.” During the morning she was so pre- ‘occupied and nervous that she attracted the attention of Wallis. As much troubled as Wallis had been over the suit that Merrimount was making, and all the more troubled because she had discovered that she had a much greater regard for the young English- man than she was willing to admit, she finally asked her aunt what it was that was giving her so much dis- tress. The good lady prevaricated, denying that anything extraordinary was occupying her mind. The shrewd Wallis, however, believing that her aunt was not dealing sincerely with her, determined that she would not permit an interview with Harold Pier- son if she could prevent it. Thus it was that, in her endeavor to frustrate a meeting between her aunt and young Pierson, she was prevented from going to Bessie, a visit to whom she had promised herself on that morning, in order to consult her as to the offer she had received from Lord Merrimount. The impending interview with Bessie’s father occu- pied Dick’s thoughts during the morning. Bessie had whispered te him the previous evening that when her father called her to account for going upon an ex- cursion of which Dick was a party, she had told her father that she had pledged herself to be Dick’s wife, and that her father was very angry, therefore Dick had no doubt as to what the subject of that interview would be. He feit that the issue had come and that he must meet it. He speculated upon the effect it would 295 Comicbooclk C@©