The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

168 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. CHAPTER XIII. Of all the passions which the heart beset, Avarice is strong, but vengeance stronger yet. OLD PLAY. THERE was a hard struggle in that little shrivelled forcing-pump which Mr. Small called his heart, and to which he universally appealed, whenever he contem- plated an unusually barefaced stroke of villany, before he could make up his mind to part with so large a sum as the thousand pounds which Flanagan had demanded of his partner for the surrender of the papers. Although nominally a partner in the wealthiest firm in Manchester, the little man was far from being rich. Grindem took more than the lion’s share of the profits, and the human jackal was left merely the bones to lick —they were not worth the picking. Still he had money at command. As we have said before, he was a pious rascal, con- stant in his attendance at church, noted for family prayers, talked largely for the poor, and felt for them, everywhere but en his pockets. COniiclooecl SS (SO