Roxy Hastings — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. SanG 135 Yet there were the Allards, and in their party was a governess who was not otherwise designated. It was a slight chance, but Mark resolved to inquire. He hunted them up and found them on the quarter-deck, all in a squad, minus the governess. “There he comes,” said the father, who had been warn- ing his family of the danger. “Wemust stand by her. I shall refuse to give her up, unless he brings legal process.” Holden came up very politely, and addressing Mrs. Al- lard, said : “Will you excuse me, madam, for asking you a ques- tion or two about the lady who_is traveling with you as governess. My object is—” The lady reddened and looked much embarrassed as he spoke. She turned to her husband, who was about to re- ply, when the elder son stepped forward, and with several bows, much gesticulation, and some grimaces, said: “Je ne parle pas l’ Anglais, monsieur ; Je ne l’entende pas. Parlez Francats, s’il vous plait. monsieur.” “Oh! they’re parley-vous,” said Mark, turning away, hopeless of making them comprehend him. “She ain’t among them.” CHAPTER XXVI. ALFRED’S DESPAIR. The Lees had returned to New York a few days after the flight of Miss Holden, but before any publicity had been given to that affair, and Alfred, who had obtained his dis- charge from the army, made it his first business to inquire whether Lucy were yet married. Not that he entertained the slightest hope of defeating the nuptials, but he thought it would be a great satisfaction to see her once more before she became Mrs. Burr, as after that event he was resolved never voluntarily to expose himself to the pain of meeting > her. Having heard that the wedding was yet in abeyance, and was to take place in about a fortnight, he called on the evening of the day after his arrival in the city, and was received by his old enemy, Mark Holden, alone. There was the chill of an iceberg in the look and manner of Mark as he gave two fingers to the young heutenant to shake, and asked him if he would sit down, in a way that Eomicboo cS (ele)