The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 14] the grave. He was buried with the square upon his breast, and the sacred scroll in his hand. The three Smalls—Matthew, Mark, and John—had written to offer their attendance! a compliment which Henry Beacham took upon himself, in the name of the bereaved widow and Amy, coldly but politely to decline. The only notice which Gilbert Grindem took of his nephew’s mourning attire, was a low, half-inarticulate growl of dissatisfaction. His constant visits to the house of Mrs. Lawrence began to give him considerable uneasiness. It was something, at his age, too much for friendship ; and although the least susceptible man, perhaps, in the world, still he had had sufficient experi- ence to know that woman is never so dangerous as when her beauty is veiled by sorrow. For some time past he had been reflecting on the means of separating the lovers, as he suspected them to be, for ever. ““So, Henry,” he observed, about a week after the funeral, ‘‘ Lawrence is dead ?”’ ‘* Even so, uncle,” replied his nephew. «Poor fellow—poor fellow!” said Gilbert, trying to press a touch of humanity into his voice ; but it would not do, it was so evidently forced. ‘‘ And what do the widow and the nightingale, his sister, intend to do ?” ‘“‘T don’t exactly understand you, sir.” ‘‘ How are they to live?” continued the merchant. ‘‘T suppese you can understand that—you did not use to be so dull of comprehension.”’ COUN Goo! SS (SO