The Man in Possession — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION, 45 gratitude exactly ; he would want more than that. Well, say her love. But here his meditations grew altogether too bliss- ful and absurd for description. The ‘‘ bud of love” had indeed sprung up into a wondrous blossom, ready to be gathered and worn on this girl's neart for all her life, did she so choose or desire. But would she? Was she unconventional enough to be wooed in an utterly unconventional method? The hot blood of youth tingled in this young man’s veins as he pon- dered over the schemeinhismind. It was romantic. It certainly was altogether apart from the dreams and hopes of the jim de sizécle youth, who finds woo- ing a bore, and prefers to let the girl do it for him, while he sucks his walking-stick and surveys her with tepid admiration. But Tom Rivers was not tepid, he was, if any-. thing, impetuous, warm-hearted, and full of fine and generous impulses, which had often strayed far from the fields of common sense. So it was, that having embarked on this somewhat hazardous romance, he resolved to keep it up, and see what would come of it. Was it quite impossible that a young lady should care for a working man? Did the man himself count for less than his clothes, and his represented position ? He could not answer these questions. He thought it would be an interesting experiment to find out. Discoveries always promise interest. They do not, however, necessarily fulfil that promise. COMicloe SS a(G Sn