The Man in Possession — page 301: what you’re looking at

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

296 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. you once more before I left England. Ishould like to ask you to forgive what I now see was both fool- ish and impertinent,” he said presently. ‘‘I know I’ve no right to any sort of consideration from you, but it wouldn’t be very much for you to put your hand in mine and wish me God-speed, would it, Kate?” | He looked at her then, and that change in her face, and the quiver of her pale lips as they parted to speak to him, had something about them so un- familiar and so pathetic that his self-command was sorely taxed. “No,” she said faintly. ‘‘It wouldn’t be much. I am glad you came.” In this new attitude of humility, in her pallor and weakness and suffering, she touched him as she had never done in her beauty and brilliance. She could have found no weapon so powerful, had he come there for combat. The first look of her face had dis- armed him. : ‘“ You are very good to say so,” he cried with a passion of gratitude. ‘‘I—I never expected it. You would laugh if you knew how many times I passed and repassed your door before I had the courage to ring.” ‘‘Am I as formidable as Petruchio’s Katherine? ” she said with a faint smile. She was wishing he would not look at her. It unnerved her, and she knew that neither face nor voice were well under control to-night. ‘To me, yes,” he said. ‘‘ You must confess our interviews have been somewhat—stormy.” ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO