The Illegal Marriage — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

176 THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. “Not so much as you think, dear, he is so good to me.” “He? who is he? not Alfred Guerry ?” “No!” replied Cecy, while a deep blush suffused her face, “I have seen Alfred but once since I came.” “Do you mean Colonel Stannard?” Cecy did not answer, but bowed her head upon the bosom of her friend, a gesture which told the story of her heart. “Dear, tell me one thing—did you have any words with Alfred?” : “Never; why do you ask?” “Do you love him? Believe me, Cecy, I do not ask from idle curiosity; but for your own good. | have something to tell you about him—if I may.” For a short time Cecy did not speak, but presently made a full confession to her friend. “T have told myself a thousand times,” she said, “that I must have been mad; yet I might have loved him had he come to me in this trial. Hattie, he acted cowardly with me—what woman could love a man she knew to be that? Sometimes I scold myself for despising him.” “T never liked him, Cecy; do you not remember that I——” “T remember it well; but Iwas wayward. Even when I thought that I loved Alfred best, I trembled before—before—him.” It did not need a name to show who this “him” was, for Mrs. Bond read the secret of the heart throbbing against her own. “Cecy, darling, you do not know how happy you have made me. I was trembling over the news that I had to bring you. Shall I tell it to you?” Cecy nestled closer to her friend, having then a suspicion of what was to come. “Mr. Martin came to see me,” Mrs. Bond began, “two days after he was here, we entered into a conspiracy together—plotting against you with all our might. Did Colonel Stannard tell you about Mr. Guerry in his room?” Comicbooks (Ele)