The Man in Possession — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

248 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. mere physical nearness, and showed a soft and glad comprehension of all that this meeting promised. Then she moved on, and took her place. Her position at the long table necessitated her turning her back upon him. But from time to time she heard the deep and well-remembered tones of his voice, and so strange, so sweet a thrill ran through her veins, that it seemed as if life had only just begun to be life with this glad birth of hope. He seemed to be entertaining a guest. She heard another voice, a young voice, answering and re- marking from time to time. Conversation, however, did not seen very brilliant. As for Mrs. Lafaye, the attentive waiter was heart- broken at her indifference to the delicate and dainty dishes which he offered her from time to time. She either refused them or left them almost untasted on her plate. The meal seemed to her interminably long. The conversation of her neighbours on either side was particularly vapid and uninteresting. After the ice-pudding had gone round she rose from her seat. Colonel Lawrence, who had been watching her every movement, did the same as she passed his table. She smiled graciously. ‘‘I shall be in the drawing-room,” she said, and passed out of the room, followed by many admiring and some envious glances. ‘‘A compatriot of yours, Colonel?” said Tom Rivers, who had observed the meeting and the agitation on the part of his host. ‘‘Yes, ... It is years since 1 saw her,” answered the Colonel. His grave deep eyes had a look of © COMicloe (Sri C(O)