Her Faithful Knight — page 250: what you’re looking at

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

246 Dorothy’s Crime. possible to doubt the genuineness of her love for her dead sister, to which, indeed, even Darcy Derrick had testified. The old lawyer was touched and interested. Already he had heard of the Quixotic generosity with which the sisters had sacrificed the little fortune which would have ’ been theirs on their father’s death in order to satisfy the just claims of his creditors. He was a wise old man and an excellent judge of character, and he knew much to the credit of the lovely, hardworking and unfortunate sisters, and a good deal to the discredit of Baron Derrick’s son. He therefore treated Dorothy with a gentle and fatherly kindness which quickly touched her and made her ashamed - of the deception she was forced to practice upon him. He strongly approved of her plan to leave Lockhart Cottages immediately and stay in some quiet country spot not too far from London, to recruit her strength before under- taking a long sea voyage. “But from what I heard from your late aunt about your brother, my dear young lady, I should scarcely advise you to seek him out. If he is your sole inducement for visit- ing America, I should say Australia would be a better goal. You must remembcur that you are now a lady of very considerable means, and it would be a great pity if they should be used to defray theextravagances of ne’er- do-weel relatives. Forgive my frankness.” “I am only too glad to have any one take an interest in me,”’ she said simply, and Mr. Searle mentally decided that this young woman was as good as she was beautiful. In ten days’ time she was to return to town, if suf- ficiently strong, and to proceed to Messrs. Searle and Glyn’s office, in order that they might arrange for the fu- ture disposal of her property. Meantime, she was to send them her address from the country, and to facilitate her immediate departure Mr. Searle offered to advance her Commcoooks (S©)