The Man in Possession — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION, 189 when I had the chance—I—who all my life have been craving and hungering for it... . No—there was no mistake. I will tell you the story.” She told it briefly and coldly, the bare crude facts ; and Mrs. Lafaye listened with deep interest. ‘There is one thing I never can understand,” said Kate in conclusion. ‘‘And that is how he knew about what happened on the Christmas Eve before I left town. It could hardly have been a guess—yet no one but myself knew of it... .and—one other person.” ‘‘Who was that other person?” asked Mrs Lafaye. ‘‘Well,” said Kate laughing and colouring, ‘‘I don’t know if you have such people in America—but really he was a bailiff. A man put in for debt owed by my father.” ‘But how could your friend, Mr. Rivers, know anything about that?” exclaimed Mrs. Lafaye in wonder. ‘‘That is what puzzles me. If I told you the real ' truth... . but it seems so ridiculous, you will only laugh ” ‘My dear, I never felt further from laughing in my life. ... it is most interesting ; the very improbabil- ities make it so, please tell me all, if you don’t mind.” ‘‘As I’ve begun I may just as well tell you all,” said Kate. She rose and stood leaning against the chimney-piece, her face a little averted from the bril- liant watchful eyes of the American woman. ‘“Well, then—the strangest part of the whole matter is this. The....the young man in possession, reminded me of some one I had met before ECOMNCE OOO CB (SO