A Fair Fraud — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

A Fair Fraud 233 remained in close conference, talking together in lowered voices, and Marion did not hear . what they said; then suddenly her uncle called her name. ‘Marion! come here.’ She obeyed. ‘Look here, my dear child,’ he said, laying his hand affectionately, if a little heavily, on her shoulder, ‘you are always a good girl and ready to do as you are told. I wonder if you would help your aunt and me in a little difficulty ?’ Marion assented, but not very readily, for she scented something disagreeable. ‘Well, it’s just this, you see. These wretched women must be told to make themselves scarce, and your aunt says she won't speak to them, and really, for me, it would not be altogether a pleasant task. You see, a man never—never—’ ‘Never likes to do anything disagreeable. I know that, Uncle John.’ ‘Well, well, you see, men are zof used to this kind of thing! These ladies—ahem ! women, | should say—have been my guests; it's rather awkward, you understand, for a gentleman to go and order them out of his house.’ ‘And you want me to go and order them out of the house ?’ ‘Precisely so, my love. You see, you have GORMGIOO oO G' Q)