At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. fo 1 Oe ” could never do, and she will be as brave as any other woman, and come from the trial sweeter and truer even than she is now. I have perfect faith in my Nan, you see, Charlie.’’ ‘‘And oh, I know of another little woman in whom I have the greatest faith,’’ whispered a merry voice at_her ear. CHAPTER XIX. THE COILS OF THE SERPENT. Howard Blake went back through the clover on the slope, crushing them down with careless feet, so occupied with his wrathful thoughts as never to think of the damage he was doing to his clover, too furious at this ending to his plans of revenge upon _ Nan and her father because of the patriotism that held them aloof from him, and made the girl scorn him with words that burned deep in his heart, though he might laugh at them as he would while in her presence, and that had sent her away to the fields where she was for the time beyond his power, for he did not even know where she had gone. He had been laying his plans and strengthening his hold upon her for so long, feeling so sure of his easy victory now that those who would defend them were gone, and especially the captain, whom, it might be, he feared more than any other, because he was so sure he knew of his design upon the. girl whose father he had tried to hold in his power for her undoing. He had worked his plans well, and up to that moment he had been sure of the girl. Now she had escaped him, going, as she had, to the camp where it might be she would thwart his well conceived planning, and prove her strength lay in | her weakness after all. “But I will win!’’ he muttered, between clenched teeth, as he strode on, his black brows meeting ina heavy frown, the sinister light in the black eyes, a cruel curve to the lips under the drooping. mustache. ‘‘T will win in the end, and then, my sweet girl, you shall feel to the full extent my power over you and GEomicbooks.c¢o