The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

310 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. ‘* And so should I,”’ replied the son, puffing a fresh cloud; “take it by instalments—just as he gave it to us.” ‘‘ Besides,” added the prudent parent, ‘‘I am not quite sure that the vessel has sailed with Beacham ; and we don’t want him here.”’ ‘< Decidedly not,” observed the courageous Matthew Small, remembering with a bitter feeling, the castiga- tion he had received. ‘When Amy Lawrence,” he added, “is Mrs. Matthew Small, and his uncle com- pletely in our hands, then he may come back. J should like to see him then !”’ Just as they turned the corner of Shude Hill, they saw Gilbert Grindem, his face completely muffled, so as to conceal his features as much as possible, coming towards them from Canon Street. They recognised him in an instant by his gait. To avoid meeting him, father and sons entered a tavern near, where they called for wine, and a private room up stairs, from which they had the satisfaction, hidden behind the blinds, of watching him, as he impa- tiently paced up and down the side of the street in which the yard leading to Flin’s cellar opened. The Smalls grinned with delight, as they noticed his nervous impatience; they fancied that they could almost hear his muttered curses, as he struck his cane fretfully upon the stones, and peered into the face of every man of the working class who approached hin. (SO TEONMGOOOKS