The Man in Possession — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. — 287 ‘‘Nothing will make it easier,” said the young man, more gloomily. ‘‘Nothing. I can’t hope for that.” ‘‘You are very young, my boy, to taste so bitter a draught of unhappiness. You haven't arrived at that stage of life when the conscience and the emotions are too deadened for suffering to affect them very keenly.” ‘‘It must be an enviable stage to arrive at,” said Tom. ‘‘ Have you reached it, may I ask?” ‘‘Reached it, and passed it,” answered Colonel Lawrence. ‘‘ And now, in the autumn of my days, I am going to have my reward.” Tom looked at him keenly. | ‘‘ I—I think I under- stand,” he said. ‘‘I thought that meeting last night meant a great deal for you.” ‘‘It had meant all I had to live for, hope for, look forward to, for six long years,” said the Colonel, with an unforced and simple pathos that made no effort to mask its depth of feeling. ‘Six years!” echoed Tom drearily. ‘‘I wonder what they will do forme? I wonder how I shall live through them ?” ‘‘T think it would be better to reflect upon what you will make of them. This—disappointment— shall we call it that?—-won't make you a worse man if you brace yourself up to bear it.” ‘‘T am glad you are going to be happy,” said Tom, regarding him with a new interest. ‘‘It is Mrs. Lafaye, of course? Yes, I thought that at once. She is charming, and so lovely! What a wonderful ending to your romance, Colonel !” ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO