The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 277 Poor Amy looked blank, and turned on one side to hide a tear. | ** What will you give me for a letter from Henry ?” he whispered, but not so low but his mistress overheard him. “A kiss,’ she said; “‘ promise him, Amy, I'll be your surety; and if you don’t pay, why, I suppose,” she added, with a blush, ‘I must.” It was rather ingenious of Mary Heartland to procure this letter for her friend, and reward her lover at the same time; but girls are very ingenious when in love. : The arrangement was agreed upon, and William drew from his pocket a letter, which he had that very morning received from St. Petersburg, announcing the arrival of his friend in the capital of all the Russias. “There,” he exclaimed, holding it out at arms’ length; “look at it—a real, tangible, bond fide letter from St. Petersburgh !” His father, who was busily employed with the paper, caught the last words. ‘The rest of the conversation had been carried on in too low a tone for him to pay much attention to it. ** A letter,” he repeated, “‘from Russia? Anything about cotton ?”’ ‘‘ No, father,” replied his son, with asmile. “It relates to an article which does not legitimately belong to the market, although, unfortunately, it is too often brought COUN Goo! SS (SO