The Man in Possession — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 31 at the—the business. I dare say I shall find out its drawbacks as well as its advantages in time.” ‘You don’t speak like one, at least like Fletcher,” said the girl, as she laid down the spoon and went over to the cupboard for the flour and milk and eggs. ‘‘Oh,” said the young man mendaciously, ‘that’s because I’m better educated than Fletcher. I was always fond of books and reading you see, Miss and——" Kate looked sharply at him. That ‘‘ Miss” sounded so odd from his lips. ‘‘Do you know,” she said, ‘‘I have an idea I’ve seen you before, somewhere; I can’t remember where.” ‘‘Perhaps,” said the young man, ‘‘ you’veseen me going to—work.” ‘“To work,’ echoed Kate, more and more puzzled. ‘¢ Do bailiffs work?” ‘‘T’m a sort of—of carpenter and cabinet-maker,” he said, still with that odd look of amusement in his eyes as of one who secretly enjoys an excellent joke. ‘‘Itake up Fletcher’s business as an amuse- ment when off work.” ‘‘QOh,” said Kate, ‘‘a carpenter.” She felt a little disappointed, yet after all what was it to her if the noble art of turning and cabinet-mak- ing claimed this goodly youth as a ‘‘’prentice hand,” or if he chose to employ his leisure hours in the lucrative and amusing profession of which Fletcher was an honoured member. ‘‘But how can he be so different >—truly education is a very wonderful thing,” she reflected, as she COMicloe CO