Violet Lisle — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

76 MARTIN JENKINS FORGETS HIS CLOTH, of thinking, though his brawn and muscle had kept them from open remonstrance. “It’s well known, parson,” said he, with angry sarcasm, “that you would speak the devil well, let alone a young woman who has jilted you.” A little laugh went around at this, but Martin gave it no thought. His mind was full of Violet. “It is an ungenerous act, John Broad, to twit a man with such a thing,” he said, warmly; “but I donot blush to own that I have offered myself, all unworthy of her, to Miss Lisle. It will always be a happiness to me that it has fallen tome to love her. Any man who truly loved her would be the better for it. I have never talked with Lord Darlington, but I do not doubt that he is as good as the least of us, and I have faith to believe that he, no more than one of us, would try to wrong Miss Lisle. Suc- ceed in wronging her he could not, and I will take that stand before the whole world, in the face ‘of all that may be said.” “ Parson’s right,” said one. “That he is,” said another, and those who did not speak nodded their heads encour agingly. John Broad spread his legs, tapped his boot with his whip-stock, and exclaimed, with a sneer: “You do well to take the part of the half-starved whip- per snapper because he’s bayed at the same moon with you. For myself lam not afraid to say and maintain that Violet Lisle is-no better than any other girl, and it is more than likely she’s gone to town with Lord Darling- ton, preferring to be the mistress of a nobleman rather than the honest wife of a common yeoman.” The other young men stood silent, chiefly perhaps from not having words ready, but Mar tin spoke up quickly : “Shame on you, John Broad ! It is a coward’s act to defame a woman !” John Broad took a step forward toward Martin, glower- ing on him in his anger. ) “Sniveling puppy !” said he; ‘‘parson or no parson, I’ve a mind to shake you into manhers, And if it weren’t for your shabby cloth I’d lay you out in the dust.” “When I defend a woman,” said Martin, ‘“‘I do it as a man, not as a priest, and no man shall speak ill of that lady in m'y presence.” “What’ll you do then, you whiffet?” demanded John, contemptuously. “TI say it again, and stand by it—Violet Lisle has found her price.” comicbooks:com)