A Social Meteor — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

272 A SOUIAL METEOR. I want is sympathy, companionship, and some one to protect me. Thisis what I ask of you, and you will not, you caznot refuse me. I will be no trouble to you.” She had laid her hand on his arm while speak- ing, and was looking up in his face with her very soul in her eyes. “T don’t know what to say,” he muttered, in a bewildered way, as if speaking to himself. I i “You will never have reason to regret it,” she murmured; “I shall never reproach you, what- ever happens. If you tire of me I will leave you, but all my life I will bless you for your goodness to me.”’ “My goodness,” he echoed, with a short laugh, “it could hardly be called that, I think.” “You will take me?” she pursued, breathlessly. “Listen,” he said, after a pause. “I do not say no to you. I suppose I ought to, but I feel so reckless, so indifferent to everything just now, that I don’t much care what happens; so you see you have attacked me at the right moment. If you insist upon accompanying me, you may do so, and we will take our chances together. The steamer sails at noon, you know, so be there on time with your luggage. If you change your mind between now and Saturday, send a note down instead, and it will be all the same.” She seized his hand and covered it with kisses, Ss) (Eo) ~“GOmicboo