Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

162 Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. ‘Here is a—a gentleman who wishes to speak with you,” said May, demurely. “* Another |” he groaned. ‘‘ More distress, more delays, more ruin !” ‘*Oh, papa! papa!” she cried, pitifully, but at the same time clasping her little hands with glee, “it is not a lawyer this time. Don’t you know who it is? Look at him closely. It is Ralph come home at last.” ‘* Ralph !” cried my uncle, hoarsely, start- ing from his chair. ‘Ralph! God bless you, my boy, and welcome home. Where have you been? What have you been doing ? I never thought to see your face again.” “‘And many a time I thought you never would,” J answered. They would not breathe a word of their own sorrows until I had as briefly as possible narrated my own troubles and adventures, My uncle’s eyes glowed at times with sup- pressed passion, while May listened through- out with charming open-eyed wonder, varied on occasion by shuddering sympathy when I recounted the perils I had escaped, while I observed that every time the name of John o’ Compton recurred, always in connection comichbooks.com