In Search of an Unknown Race — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

I14 VAN. affection between two of the opposite sex, in early life. Occasionally Van encountered a drowsy night watch- man in his quilted tunic, and with his helmet shaped cap overlaid with plates of silver. Carrying a sort of halberd as the mark of his calling, he patrolled his pre- cinct in a prefunctory sort of way, yet in this happy city his office was the merest sinecure. Thinking what a strange contrast it all was to the sights and sounds to which he had been accustomed, Van walked slowly up the gentle grassy slope leading to Ninada’s home, half hoping he might find the young girl alone on the stone veranda. Ninada was there, but not alone. As Van was about ascending the steps he heard the voice of Flores, speak- ing in a decidedly melodramatic manner, on the other side of the leafy curtain which extended from one stone pilaster to another. ‘‘T tell you, Ninada, I hate him!” Intuition told Van that he himself was the subject of this little ebullition of feeling, and, though it was not the perfectly correct thing to do, he stood a moment to hear Ninada’s reply. ‘But why?” she said, calmly. ‘‘Van has never harmed you.” ‘He has ; and no one knows better than you how !” was the reply, ina voice of repressed passion. ‘‘ Be- fore he came,” Flores went on impetuously, as the rustle of the young girl’s dress showed that she had risen to her feet, ‘‘ you were very different toward me, you : ‘Flores, I will not stop to hear you speak in such a way, quickly interrupted the young girl. EoOmicdooksico