The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

“That's more ther J om te] won 2 cove somnme else to do thar ask the namre oor costomerss. Snal The cool, exev. wel-actec moifferenre of the scour- drel completely disermec. o- rether prevemiec Mee “ Whke.” exchanmerd a tal. Gisematec inc of about victims, “ here’s a “omman har lost ber cullev: ” The fellow whom he adCcressed was seated with two wretched-looking girls at a table mear the fire, having breakfast. “Well,” said the man, “ I amt found him. [ wonder if it was the chap we seed dragged out of the caal this morning ? ” “More likely,” replied the youth who had last spoken, thrusting his tongue into his cheek, and giving a knowing wink to his companion, “it’s the one we met last night with that pretty girl. Do you remember what a kiss he gave her?” A general laugh followed this miserable attempt at wit, and the speaker felt proud of his achievement— he thought it manly. In her distress, poor Meg’s heart felt indifferent to the Jast¢ insinuation, which at any other moment would COniiclooecl SS (SO