The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

256 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. “Go after him, then,” exclaimed the old man, starting from his chair, and fixing a glance upon the speaker beneath which his eyes quailed, “‘ and tell him to sign them.” “Very well, sir.”’ ‘‘And add, that I shall expect him here at four: o'clock, punctually, to arrange the affair of which we have been speaking.” ‘‘ T’ll not forget, sir,” said Matthew, his long habit of respectful submission returning at the firm and decided tone in which Grindem spoke, for the fellow was a cur to the very heart of him. ‘And one word by way of caution,” continued the merchant ; ‘“‘if ever you presume to set foot into the inner office again without my permission, I discharge you from the firm, despite your father’s influence. Tell him that the firm is Grindem and Small,” he added, striking his knuckles on the table; “and not Small and Grindem yet!” Matthew sneaked out of the office very much with the air of a dog detected in the act of some petty larceny, and not quite assured of immunity for the attempt. , Once more left to himself, Gilbert, with the air of a man who had taken a desperate resolution, sat down to his desk and wrote two long letters : one was directed to his correspondent at St. Petersburg, the other—in which he inclosed a note for five hundred pounds— was to his nephew, Henry Beacham. COniiclooecl SS (SO