The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

274 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. Soon after the disappointed visitor took her leave, accompanied by her daughter, who could not conceive why her mother should take so much trouble for an ungrateful, impertinent chit, as she styled Amy. “Thank God, that woman’s gone!” said Mr. Bowles, as he seated himself in his easy chair. ‘ She produced the same effect on me as the sight of a crocodile.”’ ‘Oh, William!” exclaimed his wife, with a smile, which showed she was not very far from being of the same opinion, “‘ how can you be so severe? It is not often that you are harsh in your judgment upon strangers.” 7 “ T hope she will continue one,” added her husband, drily. ‘‘ The idea,” he added, “ of separating my two girls—taking Amy from her home, as if she was doing her a favour, with her fine airs of kindness and protec- tion, and leaving Mary without a companion.” ‘© Perhaps she meant well,” observed Mrs. Bowles, with whom it was a point of religion to judge charitably of all persons; ‘‘ at least I hope so. But her visit and invitation, to say the least of it, were a little singular, considering that Amy had never seen her. It will never be by my advice or consent,” she added, after a few moments’ reflection—for her son had told her of the conduct of Matthew Small,and Beacham’s resenting it—if the dear girl accepts it.”’ The grateful orphan felt almost happy; for the heart expands with kindness, as the flowers with the dew of morning. Her host’s allusion to her being at home— ecomnuicloooks (SO