The Man in Possession — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 197 judicious hints, made herself acquainted with a good deal of that young man’s history. There was one person at Croft, however, who made it very apparent that he did not admire or like the lovely American, and that was Sir Wilfred. Whether he detected animosity in her friendly glances, or scented danger in her subtile suggestions, or felt that she could even make him appear a bigger fool than most people, it is impossible to say, but in his heart he disliked and was afraid of her, and felt instinctively that she was entirely opposed to his marriage with Kate. Besides, she was always in the way whenever he wanted to talk to his fancée, always monopolising her, or mak- ing a third in the party, and the worst of it was that Kate seemed to like it. She was so fond of Mrs. Lafaye that apparently she could not endure her absence for half-an-hour. So, all things considered, it was no wonder that Sir Wilfred sulked and moped and found fault with his mother for asking the ‘“meddling Yankee-woman,” as he politely called her, on this visit. The last day of Kate’s stay at Croft had arrived, and still he had not been able to have a word with her alone or get her to listen either to his love-mak- ing or his ardent desire for a speedy union. He grew sullen and discontented. It was all very well to say to Kate that he did not expect any display of affection, and was content—dog-like—with an occa- sional pat on the head to show he was remembered, but in his heart he began to acknowledge that a one- sided courtship was very uphill work, and not at all pleasant, even to so modest a suitor as himself. He ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO