A Fair Fraud — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 155 her, though she did not dare to mcet them. . ‘As I said,a cheque would be useless. But the great thing is that I should have the money by the day after to-morrow.’ ‘I will write to my bankers to-night. I ought to get the reply by the evening post to-morrow. But where can I send you the money? You will have left, will you not? You told me this afternoon you and _ your mother would leave Crookthorpe to-morrow?’ He seemed now almost anxious that she should go. She shook her head sadly. ‘No, we cannot go to-morrow,’ and her eyes filled with tears. ‘Believe me, I would go if I could, gladly, but I must have that money first.’ Her tears made him relent alittle towards her. ‘If you will only tell me,’*he said with more gentleness than he had yet shown to her, ‘what it 1s that is pressing upon you so hardly ? Give me the bills and let me pay them for you. Is it a dressmaker ?—or—or a moneylender? Forgive the suggestion, for, indeed, I can con- jecture noother. Confide in me, I implore you, Hester. Debt need not be dishonour, and I would so gladly trust and believe in you. Tell me all the truth?’ He took her hand as he spoke, and knelt with one knee on the chair that stood between them, so that he seemed to be a suppliant for her mercy. GOMMGIOO <S (GO) uu