The Man in Possession — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

270 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. could have been so hard on him. Why, any one— any one might be proud to have such a lover. And he does love you, Kate. I could tell that at once. Now you needn't flush up and look indignant. I’m going to assert the privilege of friendship, and speak very plainly.” Kate folded her hands behind her beautiful head and leant back in her chair with an expression of perfect indifference as to what the ‘‘privileges” spoken of might entail on herself. But she did not deceive the acute little American. She knew too much of woman’s powers of deception. She knew, too, that the more hurt and tender was the heart, the more determined would be the effort to conceal its suffering. Kate’s coldness and preoccu- pation were assumed, and she resolved to break them down if possible. ‘‘Mr. Rivers—(it would be ever so much easier and nicer to call him Tom, but I suppose I daren’t) —as [ said before, is a perfectly delightful and gen- uine young man. There are not many to be met with nowadays,” she said. ‘‘I can’t imagine why you have set yourself against him. Let me recite the case. He fell in love with you at the railway station. He found out by accident that you lived here and were in—let us call it—a pecuniary difficulty. From this difficulty he in a somewhat unorthodox and romantic manner endeavoured to relieve you, keeping his ownidentity concealed. He has always had a dream of being loved for his own sake alone, not for his wealth. He must be a singularly modest young man to doubt the possibility of such a thing! COMicloe (Sri C(O)