At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

144 ATA GIRLS MERCY. est degree the sufferings of his country and her sol- diers. I should have given you your answer more kindly, but I cannot conceive how you for one mo- ment suppose I could have answered differently, knowing you as I do.” He ground his teeth with rage at her swift words of scorn. Had she been a man he would have struck her where she stood. As it was, he would be even with her. He would win—had he not warned her that he would win even if he had to move heaven and earth to do so? He would come to her again, and she would not meet his suit then with this scorn- ing. He had worked his plans well so far, but the future would show with what cunning he could de- vise a way to prove his boast not vain. He would win her by other means, now fair means had failed. He held the net in his hands, and could draw the cords tighter at his will. She should feel his power, and he would have his revenge. Every word she had spoken in her anger that day should be but stronger cords to tighten the net about her life. He had other means to make his power felt should this claim upon her father prove unavailing. He had not woven his net in vain. He knew well the squire’s position toward the government, and a word from him would set a crowd of maddened brutes upon his track; or there was their mode of striking in the dark. He would draw his snare daily nearer and nearer the attaining of his end. She should not escape him— she could not escape him—he had gone too far to turn back. -He laughed as scornfully as she could have done, and turned back as he was leaving the room, facing her as she stood full in the light of the high win- dow. There was a gleam of.triumph in his black