The Man in Possession — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 171 entered the drawing-room Mrs. Jackson Lafaye fluttered down upon her like a brilliant bird of prey. ‘‘l’m just dying to speak to you,” she announced. ‘‘T liked you the moment I set eyeson you. Seemed to feel we'd be friends. Lady Jocelyn tells me youre engaged to herson. S’pose I ought to congratulate you. I will if you like.” ‘‘Thank you,” said Kate, somewhat coldly. ‘‘ But it’s not at all necessary.” ‘‘ Well, then, I'll leave it alone, because I know Sir Wilfred, and I don’t know you—yet. I suppose you take a reasonable view of life, though ?” ‘‘I__I hardly know,” said Kate, laughing at the oddity of the question. ‘‘ Because,” continued Mrs. Lafaye, ‘‘if you do you ll not expect to get more out of marriage than it can give, and, let me tell you from experience, that’s not much. Women are not happy, as a rule, rather the reverse. They expect too much of the sentiment of life, and there's very little of it going round this century. Will you come into the conservatory with me, and have a talk?” ‘‘With pleasure,” said Kate, and they moved off side by side, Mrs. Lafaye throwing a word here, a jest there, as she passed along the room. ‘You've not many friends here, I should say,” she remarked to Kate. ‘‘I could see that quick. I must say, for downright cold, cutting, insolent spite your English society women beat creation. How they get that sort of ‘freeze’ on them I can’t imagine. Guess they're born so. It’s useful, but unpleasant.” COMicloe (Sri C(O)