A Fair Fraud — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

102 A Fair Fraud make him speak out! Then you must play indecision and a doubt of your own feelings. You must ask him to keep matters quiet for a few days until you can make up your mind. In that way you will gain time, and nothing need be said to his parents about the engage- ment until this dreadful man has gone away, and the very moment his back is turned you must definitely accept him. Then the rest will be quite easy. His father and mother will be told at once. They will kiss and bless you. You must pretend to adore your lover, and manage to fix an early date for the mar- riage, After that we can defy Fate. It is very difficult for a man to draw back in the first flush of a happy engagement, and when he has gone as far as fixing the day, it’s practically impossible, | may say.’ Hetty made no direct answer, but presently she got up from hey jow seat by the fireside and went across to her mother and kissed her. ‘Poor mother,’ she said sadly; ‘poor dar- ling mother, I know you have had a hard life, dear.’ Mrs Lane began to ery softly. ‘Oh, nohody knows, nobody knows! not even you, Hetty; but if | can only get you well and safely married—then what does it matter what becomes of me!’ GOMMGIOO <S (GO) uu