The Man in Possession — page 254: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION, 249 intense happiness. ‘‘It seems singular,” he said thoughtfully. ‘‘ Youremember I told you I had come over here on the chance of finding a—a friend— whom I had quite lost sight of?” ‘‘Yes, I remember,” said Tom, tossing off his glass of champagne, and wondering whether it was pos- sible to be very deeply in love at forty-five. ‘That lady,” said the Colonel gravely, ‘‘is the friend.” ‘It was very remarkable your meeting her like that,” said Tom. ‘‘She is a very lovely woman,” he added. ‘I think she is,” said Colonel Lawrence simply. ‘‘T have always thought so, though that is not by any means her greatest charm.” ‘‘And I suppose she is rich,” continued Tom. ‘‘Her dress seemed to convey the fact. How is it all you Americans are so well off? I never heard of a ‘poor’ American. Are there none, or do they always keep in their own country if they are badly off?” Colonel Lawrence laughed. ‘‘I’ma ‘ poor’ Amer- ican, he said. ‘‘I should play a sorry figure in the list of millionaires. But you're right. It’s only the rich ones who travel. The others work until they’re rich.” He was on tenterhooks to get away and follow Mrs. Lafaye into the drawing-room. But politeness forbade him to hurry his guest, and he had to sit and listen to his not very brilliant conversation for some time longer. When they at last adjourned Tom manifested a ECOMINCEOOO SS) (SO