A Fair Fraud — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 173 Kenneth this afternoon, and that, it seems, was . the reason she did not come down to dinner. Poor Mrs Lane wanted to pack up and go to-morrow, but of course we said, “ Do nothing of the sort ; stop on, and let our poor boy have the chance of speaking again,” and I am happy to say she has reluctantly yielded to our request. I must say I think Mrs Lane is a very high- minded woman.’ ‘She is a very clever woman, amended Marion, thoughtfully. Every move of the game seemed to be revealing new complica- tions. ‘But, Aunt Fanny,’ she went on, ‘it was only the other day you repudiated the idea of marriage altogether for Cousin Kenneth, and you said he was so safe in the hands of such an ad nirable chaperone as Mrs Lane.’ ‘Well, yes, my love. I admit that I was foolishly averse to any marriage for my boy. A mother’s selfish weakness, my dear child. But I have changed my mind. I believe now it will increase rather than diminish my happi- ness for him to marry, for your uncle stipu- lates that Kenneth shall leave the Army on his marriage and live at home with us. There is heaps of room in this big house for us and for them, and for a family, too, for the matter of that, and he is our only child, and why should we not all live together? We have talked it all over, your uncle and I, with GOMMGIOO <S (GO) uu sell. A a — ed