A Fair Fraud — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud sito! the stairs evening after evening. Doesn't it make you shudder to remember it ? the odiaus, mean faces, the dirty cards, the chink of money on the worn, green tables! And how do you suppose I used to feel as I sat by and watched you—you, a mere child of seventeen, moving about amongst that crowd of fearful men, the very scum of every nation on earth, handing them their filthy lager beer and filthier cigars, and being forced to endure their leering glances and insulting compliments? Oh! a home at Uncle Simon’s was dearly bought at such a price as that was! And think how hard | have worked since we came back to Eng- land to gain a footing in decent soc'ety—how I have slaved, and toiled, and eaten dirt, all for your sake, Hetty, and now to hear you say it would be “wicked” to marry the first real good chance that you’ve had—oh! it’s enough to break my heart, it is, indeed.’ Hetty shaded her eyes with her hand and lay back in her chair. ‘What do’ you want me to do, then?’ she asked presently in a dull, spiritless voice. ‘Why, you know as well as | can tell you, Hetty. It ought not to be difficult to bring Kenneth Drury to book. You've been practi- cally alone together now all day for nearly a week. He is clearly in love with you. Surely a very little more on your part will COMNMUC JOO <S (GO)