A Fair Fraud — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 149 broke in a little wildly, ‘and I cannot explain, cannot hope to make you understand! I have tried to do my duty—indeed, indeed I have; but things have been taken out of my hands. [ am powerless now—everything is altered !’ ‘Surely,’ said Marion, a little doggedly and coldly, ‘surely thefacts are thesame? I know that you must be suffering deeply, and I pity you sincerely from the bottom of my heart, but no suffering can justify your acting dishonour- ably. It would be dishonourable, in my opinion, to accept a man who Is ignorant of your family secret—who does not even know your real name. Remember that the truth is bound to come out before very long, and when he knows the truth he will recognise and honour your motives in refusing to marry him. You have already taken the right step and faced the worst —why subject yourself to fresh temptation which you may be unequal to resist?’ Marion spoke rather severely. She was deeply disappointed in Hester. She thought that her very love for Kenneth should have rendered her strong and brave, and although she was far from sharing Edgar Naylor's opinion that her attitude from first to last was nothing but a feint, still she could not help dreading that this hysterical and distracted woman might be selfishly repenting her de- cision of a few hours ago. <S uu GOMMGIOO (GO)