At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

90 7 AT A GIRL'S MERCY. care to shield themselves before they attempted such an outrage.”’ “But that leader looked capable of doing almost anything,’ Nan said, laughing nervously at remem- _ brance of the flashing black eyes behind the mask. “T wouldn’t care to meet him again, papa.”’ “Tt isn’t likely you will ever meet him again,”’ her father said. ‘‘Such men as he are careful not to place themselves in the way of any one who might recognize them. It is more such men as that whom we have to fear than the double ranks of the foe on the field.’’ “But, after all,’’ Nan said, her thoughts taking a - different turn, ‘‘I would trust almost any of those Confederate soldiers, or generals, or captains, any day sooner than I would trust Howard Blake, and I’m not afraid to say it.’ ‘Hush, Nan!’’ the squire said, almost sharply. ‘“‘Be careful how you speak of that man. He has me in his power, so far as that money goes. If he chose, he can come down upon me for the amount at any time, and [I must pay it. I have no stand against him, and he would carry it out to the bitter end if we should thwart his wishes ——’’ Nan interrupted him, her face hardening strangely. “What do you mean, papa? How are we to thwart any wish of his? Has he made any villain- ous plans that we are in danger of running against? What, pray, have we to fear from such a man as he? Too cowardly to enter the army when his coun- try needs every man it can have, too selfish to ac- cept, as any gentleman would, the loss that was his own, and not yours, too ungentlemanly to be hon- est and upright in his life or this words—I hate the Gomicbc Oks. CC