At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. 117 moment ere he waked her, his wrinkled old face al- most tender as he looked down upon the pure, sweet face with its warm red mouth and flushed cheeks: against which the silken lashes lay like tints of gold. She was so like a child among the huge cushions of the chair. It seemed as thcugh the trouble of the world could never touch her. As though life and love and all good things should come at her feet. As though sorrow were a thing too harsh for this tender face and smiling mouth.. But who can read the heart history from the face? CHAPTER XII, THE CORDS OF THE NET. The carriage came dashing up the drive as though to announce to the waiting girl on the steps that her heart could be at rest, and then the door was opened. with a firm hand, and Nan’s father was with her, ‘holding the girl close in his arms, listening to her eager words of delight at having him back safe and sound, and the incoherent words mixed in regard- ing the improvement of her mother. She scarcely knew what words she was using, her heart was so full of gladness and thankfulness, and the relaxation of her anxiety gave her words scarce the necessary sense, But the squire knew that he was at home again after the desperate fighting, and that the ‘gentle woman whose life had been held by such slender cords to earth, was taking a firmer hold upon life and left him nothing to wish for save the end of the terrible war and the return of his boys to the old Hall, comiIcbooks.com: