A Fair Fraud — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

40 A Fair Fraud Mrs Drury. Mamma is a little thinner cer- tainly, and she looks quite ridiculously younger than she really is, you know, but I don't expect there are so many years difference between you.’ It was so prettily said, and with such a childish little air of sincerity, that Mrs Drury's Suspicions were entirely disarmed, and she was even a little flattered and pleased by the infer- ence, although she shook her head and laughed a good-natured disclaimer. Only Marion behind the silver tea urn felt her cheeks burn hotly, whilst a dull indignation throbbed at her heart. Marion was not deceived in the least. She knew that Miss Lane was secretly making fun of her good Aunt Fanny. She glanced at Captain Drury, expecting to see some echo of her own feelings in his face, but no! he was smiling into the pretty face by his side with a look of absorbed devotion which Marion had never seen in his eyes before. A little chill pang shot through her heart. She knew that he was a flirt; she had often been a silent eye-witness of his flirtations, but hitherto they had never given her any pain, for — they had always been of a very evanescent nature. But often and often Marion Blake had told herself that one day he would fall in love in earnest and marry. She was prepared GOMMGIOO oO C' Q)