Thrice Lost, Thrice Won — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

ee 44 bt © a ee ee hb” : 7 , wart 9 t nt 9! “ FF J te in ‘| \ f £ ike ; o% ps. kee y Ee 7 ’ ” eri sten Sect ne ee siphon spt you suppose that aristocratic papa wan: say to a son-in-law who weds his daughter, willy-nilly, after he finds » out she has a fortune? What will M. le Comte think of you? ‘What will he think of me?” “Whatever he pleases. ~ You will be her husband, all the game, and it will be rather late in the day for an esclandre. At the worst, there will be a compromise and a divorce, and you will | bleed the Parisian nabob to the fune of half his fortune. Half — of that half you will hand over to me,-and it will make us both rich for life. What do you say, Roysten Darrell—will Monsieur the Count must put up with the inevitable. ~ you make a bold stroke for fortune, and marry the girl out | of hand ?” ‘ing. Peter. Fisher leaned forwaad. his greedy old eyes glisten- . The brilliant blue orbs of the bidat met that eager gaze with imperturbable sang froid. “You cold-blooded old reprobate!” he said, taking out a cigar and biting off the end. “You're a deeper- dyed idan than I am; and that is saying a good deal. You have brought - up this girl from babyhood—you stand pledged to her dead mother, who trusted you, for her welfare; and here you are, ret bartering her off, as though she were a ‘little slave-girl under the auctioneer’s hammer. Why, you thundering old croco- _ dile, ‘have you no bowels of compassion? Don’t you know _ you are trying your hardest to make her miserable for life ?”’ “ele ered face. ‘The old man listened unmoved, an evil sneer on his with- atan turned paint! a a, Darrell changed into a second St. Kevin! Go—there’s the door! Go back to the _ Raven, and let the revenue officers take you, and rot in prison for me. You’re a greater fool than I took you to be!” “Thank you, old messmate! - I bélieve I will go, for I have ~ business to attend to that is rather pressing. How soon is : pretty little Estella to become Mrs. Roysten Darrell ?’ “Ah, I thought your bexep ies would end in that way! You will marry her, then ?” “Most assuredly. Do you think me capable of refusing so small a favor to a lady? Tl marry her to-morrow, if you _ choose, and take her with-me for a honeymoon cruise in the i Raven. Meantime, you. can settle matters with papa, and = e _ when we return, Mrs. Darrell, heartily sick of the sea and of. afl a we Se , ak ‘Me: rose up, and swung off with his long, sailor stride. o matrimony, I shall be ready for that divorce and half of the | _ millionaire’s fortune. Good-evening to you, old hypocrite! ee) Settle matters with the young lady—tell lies by the yard—Vll nee _ swear, through thick and thin, to all you assert. To-morrow, ae about this time, I’ll be along again to hear the result.” JOO cS (E(©) {nif — ? U year sea aks,’ * or - (€(0) am (G | . hm &. eu ey ; : oil in sei = - « ~~ A Swear * 2 7 p. : , i ~> wae Cote tw oe Se ee ae - be Cro. :