The Man in Possession — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

® THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 159 CHAPTER XVII. POLITICS AND PEOPLE. THE news Spread rapidly and was received accord- ing to the mood, age, or station of the recipients. Some were enraged, some incredulous, most were indignant. The fact of having to conceal their feelings, of hav- ing to receive ‘‘that girl,” as the future bride of Sir Wilfred and the future mistress of Croft, was any- thing but pleasant. Still, it had to be done, and when the party as- sembled for afternoon tea, Kate was received with gushing congratulations whose pretended warmth and sincerity in no way deceived her. She was thankful sir Wilfred did not appear. Her situation was trying enough without his presence, though no one, looking at her calm face and self-possessed and gracious manner, could have imagined that she was not per- fectly at ease and perfectly happy. Lady Jocelyn was all tenderness and affection for her prospective daughter-in-law. She had rather dreaded the ‘‘ banjo young lady,” whose arts and wiles had been only too apparent. Her son’s choice, however, justified that faith in his judgment and good taste which she had so fondly maintained in the face of all obstacles. Some of the dowagers were quite COMicloe (Sri C(O)