The Man in Possession — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

78 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. ‘‘Phooh! What does it matter if he is?” said Cornelius O’Brien airily. ‘‘ You don’t mind my having a cigarette, my dear?. . . [ve been denied . one so long owing to that confounded doctor. .. . What was I saying. Oh, about Sir Wilfred. Hesa soft youth, very easily managed—hed make an excellent son-in-law, and it’s a shame to think of all that money going to waste, as—well, as undoubtedly it is, for want of some one to manage him,—and it.” He thought to himself how well he could manage that fortune, of which so large a portion ran to waste by the aid of music-hall belles, and ‘‘ touts” and bil- liard markers. As he leant back and smoked one cigarette after another he let his thoughts flow pleasantly and sooth- ingly on the current of such a delightful possibility as this handling of Sir Wilfred Jocelyn’s fortune. He con- templated his daughter critically and yet with satisfac- tion. She was certainly ‘good style ’—a girl whom any man might be proud to win—a girl made, so he told himself, to carry off diamonds, and do the honours of a wealthy man’s house, and sit royally at his table, a credit to his wealth and taste. ) As one who views a promising territory running to waste, so he viewed and criticised this fair piece of womanhood, which—to him—was such a doubt- ful blessing, but of whose marketable value he was confident. ‘‘ Well, I hopeshe'll hit it off,” hereflected. ‘‘ But I'd better not say too much, girls are so queer, and so devilish romantic. We'll leave it to Providence ! ” COMicloe (Sri C(O)