His Other Wife: A Novel — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

276 A VULTURE ON GUARD. ‘‘T hope he will soon be out. I miss his kind face and cheery talk.” ‘“Ves the mate is a good fellow; but I could manage very well without his, or any man’s company, as long as I have yours.” The words were rather bluntly spoken, but deferential enough, yet they made Faith so intensely uncomfortable that she became nervous. The consciousness of the dark, warm glance of the saturnine young captain playing over her did not tend to put her at her ease under his bluff compliment, but she made the best of it by seeming not to have heard it. She - said: ‘‘You have known each other a long time, have you not?” ) ‘““Yes; a matter of five years, I think. Is your tea all right?” ‘‘Thank you, yes. How did you come to be friends and comrades? I don't think you seem to be the least alike in disposition.” ‘* Perhaps that’s why we are friends. It is a long story, but, if you’d like, I'll tell you how it came to pass that Conway and I own the Madcap together.” ““Yes; I'd be glad to hear, if you don’t mind tell- ing it.” There was a degree of eager interest in Faith’s tone, which came from the pleasure she felt in any impersonal topic that would divert Valasco’s attention from herself; &. Eomicbooks.co =|