The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

266 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. opinions of the poor, which renders even the gift of charity unwelcome. There are natures, even amongst the most poverty-stricken, which shrink from display- ing the ulcers of the heart for the barren consolation of a morsel of bread. Amy and Mary were seated in the drawing room: the latter occupied in knitting a purse, intended as a present for William, the former in reading aloud to her companion. ‘© Lay down the book, Amy, dear ; it fatigues you.” “ Not in the least,” replied the fair girl, anxious in some way to contribute to the amusement of her friend, whose gentle sympathy had so won upon her grateful nature, that she already entertained towards her the affection of a sister. “Well, then, it fatigues me. I have no time to attend to the thoughts of others while my heart is full of my own. They may not be half so good,” she added, with an arch smile, “but they are ten times more interesting. Let us talk of our lovers.”’ What girl can refuse to speak of the being who has won her love—whose image has become as an idol in the shrine of her young heart, to which she clings with all the hopeful confidence of her nature? Certainly not Amy, who instantly closed the volume, and laid it upon the work-table near them. “Tell me,’ continued the speaker, ‘is Henry Beacham handsome? I have never seen him. You know there was some sort of coolness between him COniiclooecl SS (SO