At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRLU’S MERCY. 201 She laughed as a child would have laughed, as though she did not know who her own father was. Her questioner smiled also involuntarily. She was so like a child. “There is only one thing I can do,” he said pres- ently, lifting his head from his hand, where he had rested it, thinking over this strange story, yet no more strange than many of that terrible time of war. “There is only one thing I can do for you, and if you fail in your pleading with this man, I will do that if I can. But you may go atonce. T would not let one moment’s delay endanger the life of Squire Courtland. Tell the villain in there that if he will save your father’s life he shall not meet his death to-morrow, though I will not set him free. He shall live, but he must live as a prisoner of war, and take its chances and its changes. Now you may go. Let me know the success of your effort.” He smiled upon the small. sunny-haired child as she left his presence, believing no more than did her friend in the success of her pleading with the man she had to deal with, but neither would he place one shadow of hindrance in the brave path she was treading for her father, whose spirit she had in- herited to such good purpose. But Nan had no fear, and went proudly into the resence of the thief and the man who was doing his best and worst to win the victory for his side, She was sure she would have known him anywhere, but when he arose to greet her, drawn to his full - height, his fine figure somewhat weakened by the were flashing with the same spirit that had carried hardships and the dangers through which he had passed since that night when they met in the airy - room of the wide old Hall, and though the eyes him through more than she, pure, true woman, could — ever have dreamed, and there was the grace of his bearing, and that swift movement of the hands which she had remembered for his undoing should the chance ever come to her, she realized that she «4 . > > : - . % > - eare Chas al | “ » ere * . » 7 . 3 > ro — ‘* Ms « ~~ r 75 > reed é a A, ¢ ‘ * fy : ..* * . : - . = , 7 Des: # “a. fe would almost certainly have failed to identify him — had she been set to do so in a room full of criminals. He arose to meet her with the deep courtesy of the