A Fair Fraud — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

196 #+=A Fair Fraud Mrs Lane and Mrs Drury remained closeted for a long time together in the morning-room, where Mrs Lane’s talents displayed themselves in a truly remarkable manner. She made a pretty pretence of being inadvertently betrayed into letting out her child’s secrets. ‘I don’t know what my darling girl would say, dearest Mrs Drury, if she knew how much I have admitted to you—but I can see how full of interest and sympathy you are.’ ‘Naturally, Mrs Lane, I care for my son as much as you do for your daughter.’ ‘Yes: and so our interests are identical, are they not p—that is so sweet to me to feel! —and our darlings’ happiness is what we both desire.’ ‘No doubt, no doubt; of course, as my husband and I told you yesterday, we might have looked higher for our son, with his expectations, but if his heart is set upon Hester—' ‘Hester is very well connected,’ interposed Mrs Lane, drawing herself up; ‘my _ late husband was a first cousin of Lord Morton’s, and his aunt married a sister of the Duke of Highborough’s—you can find it all in the peerage if you look,’ added Mrs Lane; and she was quite correct, there was a gentleman, of the name of Lane whose aunt and cousin figured in Dedrett in connection with the ElOOO© oO G' Q)