The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

184 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. “You are up early, mistress?” said the man; “ has Tim gone to work yet?” “ Alas!” replied Meg, “he has not returned all night. He never served me so before since we have been married. Something must have happened,” she added, bursting into tears, “‘ for if he was angry with me, he would never desert the childer.”’ “ Desert!” repeated Hall, by which name our readers will recollect Tim, on the previous night, had addressed him as he left the cellar; “ desert be hanged! why its only a few hours since I left him at Flin’s coffee- shop.” “ Where?” demanded the astonished woman. “‘ At Flin’s coffee-shop, close by. I had been to carry some relief from the society to a poor devil on tramp, or I should not have gone to such a place; and must confess I was rather surprised to meet my old pal there, for Tim had always a pride above his station.” «* At what hour was this?” “ Just after the ’Firmary clock struck twelve. Good bye ; don’t make yourself uneasy, he will soon be home. You need not tell your husband,” he added, “ that I told you where to look for him.” The speaker resumed his way to the factory, and poor Meg hastened into the cottage. To put on her bonnet and shawl was the affair of an instant. Calling to a neighbour, with whom she was in the habit of exchanging those little friendly services so common between the poor, to look to the house, she COniiclooecl SS (SO