A Fair Fraud — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 199 which the only person who appeared to be cheerful and happy was Marion Blake, who had secret sources of satisfaction unguessed at by the other ladies. Afterwards she went out for an hour or so into the village in the rain, but the others remained at home. The tea hour united them all four again. Mrs Drury had ordered tea in the hall, as she hoped the gentlemen wou!d be back in time to join them ; but although it was now quite dark, there was as yet no sign of them, and the four ladies sat down together in expectant solitude. Somehow the conversation languished. Cups of tea and thin slices of bread and butter, and even muffins and crumpets do not take a very long time to get through, and presently the four teacups were empty, and Marion rang the bell and Mrs Drury ordered fresh tea to be made, and more muffins to be toasted for the gentlemen when they should return, and the men-servants carried away the empty cups and plates, and the ladies sat on about the dis- mantled table, and silence and a little disturb- ance of mind fell upon them all. ‘I can’t imagine what keeps them so late, said Mrs Drury, who was evidently beginning to be fidgety. ‘Mr Drury alwavs leaves off shooting as soon as the light begins to fail, and it has been such a damp, misty day I GORMGIOO oO G' Q)