The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

288 ' (‘THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. “Why, you don’t believe him ?” “< Tt’s not that ; but I—somehow I can’t bear to look upon the water ; it dazzles my eyes, and dances and leaps, and my nerves dance and leap with it.” Ben cast a curious look upon his companion in crime, and saw that, despite the calmness of his speech, his eyes were rolling fearfully, and the muscles of his throat and neck convulsed with spas- modic twitchings. ‘* How is your hand ?” he demanded. ‘“$Oh, better,” said the ruffian, with affected care- lessness; “ almost well—why do you ask?” ‘“Umph! nothing, only I—I wanted to know how it was, that’s all.” ‘You don’t believe I am going mad, do you?” The wild glare of Flin’s eye, and the tone of fero- city in which he asked the question, startled Ben, who stood in considerable awe of him; for, although capable of cruelty to the weak, he was a coward with the strong. | «¢ Mad !”* he exclaimed, with a forced laugh; “ that's a good joke. What put that into your head? IfI am _~ never to be hanged till you go mad, I.would not give much to insure my life from the gallows.” ‘It would be hardly worth while,” observed his companion, drily. “ Sull,”? continued Ben, ‘‘the bite of a dog ain’t pleasant.” “The dog be —! hang tthe dog!” muttered the COniiclooecl SS (SO