A Final Triumph; or, A Lady Bachelor — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

A RIFT. ) 63 the face of Eloise. He was looking toward Mr. Studevant, and at that moment Mrs. Studevant could have cursed her husband’s indiscretion. She saw her daughter’s face and read the effect of the declaration, and once again the hope that had risen in her heart flickered out. Still, unobserv- ing the effect of his words, Laurence Adams said: ‘*I know there is nothing in it; the house with which my friend is connected is one of the most conservative firms in the city. Only yesterday, George told me that, in. view of possible financial excitements, they were beyond assault; that they had prepared for trouble, and could stand anything; so there is no trouble, sir, in that firm; to the extent of their business, they are as solid as the Bank of England. ’’ There came a little cry. Laurence turned; he saw the pallid face of Eloise as she rose and clung to her mother’s arm, who said, while her face was like that of a corpse: ** Tt has been too much for Eloise, her coming down, papa; I feared it would be.’’ She led her daughter away, and Laurence Adams read, as though it came to him like some evidence, the uninten- tional mischief he had done. He saw through it all; he recognized George Edicott’s conduct had struck a terrible blow, and he saw how the family had read the news which appeared to come so incidentally, and how they had found in it an explanation of the young man’s singular and cruel conduct. He realized how unfortunate wae his declaration, and he could have thrashed himself for having been led unwittingly to dispel a delusion that might have been at- tended with such blessed results. Gomichbooks (EO)