The Man in Possession — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

42 THE MAN IN POSSESSION, thoughts. ‘‘And all that loveliness and youth sac- rificed to a selfish old father. Faugh ! it’s disgusting, ” he exclaimed, at the end of his meditations. ‘‘ Well, I'll manage to see her to-morrow, and—by Jove, I wonder if shed invite me to have some of that wonderful pudding.” He had forgotten, actually, that he was only a bail- iff in the eyes of Kate O’Brien. Forgotten that in the character he had chosen to assume he could scarcely expect to be asked to dinner. How could she tell that he was a young man of fortune and independence, well educated, popular in society, with his own set of chambers in Piccadilly, with a select circle of friends to whom‘he gave excellent dinners, and with whom he shared the amusements of town, club, and country at stated seasons. As he reflected upon these matters, he began to ask himself ifthere was something about him that betok- ened he was not of aristocratic birth, That he was only a gentleman by right of refined feelings, good education, and much wealth. Certainly the lovely Irish girl had accepted his statement very unsuspi- ciously. Did she really think he was a ‘‘common man ?” He winced as he put the question. In the first place he had much sympathy for that ‘‘common” man, labourer, workman, whatever he might be. He had studied his life, and made himself acquainted with his eprievances andhardships. He had talked with him, assisted him, agitated for him and with him. ‘‘My great-grandfather was one of you,” he would COMicloe (Sri C(O)