The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 189 of the young men present, that they immediately tuok her part. “‘Fettle him! kick him out!” roared several. ‘IT should like to see you,” said the ruffian, start- ing from his seat, and standing in an attitude of defence. “Tl oblige you,” exclaimed a respectable-looking mechanic, walking up to him, and laying his hand upon his collar. ‘‘ Why did you strike the girl? Out with you.” The struggle was not long. The brute is generally acur: and Mike and his companion—the tall, wretched- looking youth who had commenced the piece of chaff, as they termed it—were glad to make a hasty retreat, carrying with them certain not very satisfactory proofs that Lancashire lads are not at all ready to side with the blackguard and the bully. Satisfied that she should gain no intelligence from Flin, poor Meg, after thanking the girl for her kind- ness, and forcing a sixpence into her hand, was about to quit the cellar, when her attention was suddenly attracted by the loud barking of Pepper, who, darting between the jlegs of the coffee-house keeper, with a joyous bark dashed into the inner room, where he continued yelping and whining in a most extraordinary manner. ‘‘ Curse the rats!” exclaimed Flin, with great pre- sence of mind, jumping, at the same instant, aside, as if one had passed by him; “ ] am eaten up by them. 9 COniiclooecl SS (SO