The Man in Possession — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 201 ‘‘No, nor don’t want to,” answered Sir Wilfred sulkily. ‘‘She ain't my style, as I’ve told Kate. Can’t imagine why society takes up these Amer- icans?” ‘‘They’ve two amiable qualities as a rule,’ Cornelius—‘‘ good looks and dollars.” ‘‘Humph! The looks of a wax-doll and about as lasting, as I told Kate,” said Sir Wilfred, who was waxing quite eloquent now he had a grievance. ‘‘T’ve read all that ‘rot’ in the New York Zrumpeter about them. They're so lovely, so fascinating, so clever! Not true—not a word of it. Bold as brass, cheeky as... well, you know—always airing their opinions and slanging everything in this country because it’s so different to New York. A jolly good thing it is.” ‘*Whence this bitterness?” laughed O’Brien. ‘‘Has Our fair friend from New York offended you?” ‘(Never speak to her,” said Sir Wilfred. ‘‘She’s too ‘smart’ altogether for me. Besides, I hate par- rots.” | Cornelius surveyed him with mild surprise. ‘‘Oh, fie, my dear boy. At least allow she doesn’t repeat other people's chatter. She’s original, even if a trifle assertive.” ‘‘Oh, you and Kate seem agreed that she’s perfec- tion,” grumbled the little baronet. ‘‘ But mark my words, O’Brien, I may be a fool—I s’pose I am—but I can see a yard or two before my nose for all that. Now, you look here, that woman don’t like me, and she does like Kate, and she’s trying to persuade her not to marry me. _ If it’s any pleasure to you to help said ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO