At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

lad OV as a og a) ‘at poate FM NL Geer Te aa Re @ AT A GIRLI'S MERCY. 31 his teeth again. “The man must indeed be a brute who would harm you, Miss Nan.” ‘“Pshaw!’’ she said, disrespectfully. ‘Don’t be more ridiculous than you can help—from polite- ness,’’ once more recovering herself just in time to save an awkward speech. ‘‘He would have shot me as coolly as he would have shot you, if I had made an attempt to escape or betray him; and what. would have been the use? It is very hard on my fa- ther just now. And mother, too. Mother is very sick, Mr. Blake, from the excitement.”’ “Yes,’’ he said, “‘I know, Miss Nan. You have my sincere sympathy. Butin regard to your father, I think we can compromise matters in a manner satis- factory toall. That would be only neighborly, you know.’’ ; “Of course it’s only neighborly,’’ she said, with quick defending of her father. ‘‘And I can’t for the life of me see how father is to blame. You took the chances, you now, when you wished him to draw the money for you, knowing that it would have to remain here over night. Every one is liable to rob- bery. We couldn’t help that the thieves took yours along with ours. How could they know that part was yours, and if they had they would have had no objection to it.”’ The sinister smile crossed his lips as he replied, — with apparent regret: ‘“What you say is all very well and very appropri- ate for his daughter to say, Miss Nan; but you do not understand business enough to comprehend the matter. Your father and I understand it pretty well.”’ “‘Oh, doubtless!’’ she said, bitterly. ‘‘But I hope you will be just to him, Mr. Blake!” Again the consciousness of failure in a politic Eomlebooks.com i)