Guy Hammersley; or, Clearing his Name — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

198 GUY HAMMERSLEY. Mark on St. Mark’s Day. And now do you wonder that I am interested in dates? Help yourselves; there are plenty more in the pantry.” ‘‘Mad asa March hare,” said Guy to himself, glance ing out of the broad windows in search of assistance, as he helped himself to dates with an oyster fork. Amy was too frightened to eat. Observing this, Major Warburton frowned and said meaningly : ‘‘T trust, my dear young lady, you are not going to neglect my favorites.” On finding herself thus addressed, the poor girl’s cheek paled and Guy feared that she was going to faint ‘This would have been most unfortunate, as the excitement which it would naturally induce would be very apt to cause the old gentleman to become more than merely peculiar. Something must be done at once to avert such a catastrophe. But what? Guy glanced about the room wildly, while Amy, with the major’s suggestion reinforced by a meaning look from her mother, was making an heroic effort to carry a date to her mouth. If it were only possible to lure the old man into some strong room and confine him there? During their recent inspection of the mansion they should have seen such a place, if one existed, and suddenly Guy recollected where it was. The china closet! This was situated in the passage-way leading from the hall to the dining-room and was lighted, as Guy had remarked at the time, by a high, narrow win- dow, scarcely six inches wide, and which, viewed from the exterior, was one of the features that con- tributed to give the house its castle-like aspect. The Gomicboo <S (€(@) m