The Man in Possession — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

212 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. CHAPTER XXI. DISCOVERED ! ‘Writ, Biddy! here we are back again. Any news?” ‘‘News, is it, Miss Kate darlin’? Devil a bit. There’s a pile o’ letters for the master, and there's been a hape o’ enquiries for him. And onst, that young man—him with the ulster coat who took Fletcher's place—he called. ‘When might the family be comin’ back, Biddy?’ sez he. ‘Shure,’ sez I, ‘it's with Royalty they’re staying, and they cant be spared this long while,’ I sez. ‘Maybe you'll lave your card.’ But he only laughed and went away.” ‘¢He’s in a devil of a hurry,” muttered Cornelius wrathfully. He was notin a genial frame of mind. He seldom was on his return to town. People had an unpleasant knack of reminding him of unpaid bills, County Court summonses, and various trifling obligations which he had airily thrown aside at the hour of departure, and whose claims he resented as an offence to his own ready forgetfulness. Kate found him in the drawing-room when she had removed her travelling wraps. Biddy had a brilliant fire for them, and the gipsy-table for after- noon tea was daintily laid out. By way of adding to the festive appearance of things, that worthy COMicloe C(O) <Sii