A Fair Fraud — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

252 A Fair Fraud ‘Dear Mr Naytor,—My uncle and aunt will be happy to see you here on Friday next till Monday, as you propose.—Yrs. very truly, ‘Marion BLAKE.’ - Naylor often says that is the most delightful and perfect love letter that Marion ever wrote to him. At any rate he wanted nothing better, and by the five o'clock train on the following Friday he and his Gladstone bag were safely delivered at Churston Station, where the brougham from Crookthorpe Hall awaited his arrival, It was quite dark when he arrived at the house. All the way down from town, and during the three miles’ drive to the house, it is not to be denied that Edgar Naylor, man of the world and successful barrister, was as full of excitement and exhilaration as though he had been a boy of twenty—for he was in love, and love plays strange pranks with the soberest and sedatest of human beings. Now, to fall in love had certainly been the very last thing that Mr Naylor had ever in- tended todo. If ever he married—and he had sometimes thought that perhaps it might some day be to his own advantage to do so—his marriage was to be one entirely of prudence and wisdom ; suitability of age and of tastes, an intimate knowledge of the ways of society, good ElOOO© oO G' Q)