The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

43 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. his appearance. The young man had not attached much importance to the old clerk’s promise the over- night; although the tone of solemnity with which it was made at first startled him, he felt that he must trust to himself for the accomplishment of his marriage with Amy “Did you meet Gridley?” demanded Gilbert, “ as you came into the office.” “No, sir; but I believe he is in the counting-house. Shall I call him?” : The merchant fixed his eyes upon him, but the young man met his glance steadily: not dreaming of any secret influence which the clerk possessed, he was far from suspecting the nature of the interview which had just taken place. ‘* Humph !—no,” replied the uncle, more than half- satisfied that Henry at least was unacquainted with the history of the past, whatever his secret inclinations towards Amy Lawrence might be. “I think the old fool is getting more and more eccentric every day. I scarcely know what to make of him.” “Nor I,” added the young man, with a suppressed sigh ; for the observation confirmed his previously- conceived opinion, that the promise of the clerk, to procure his uncle’s consent to his union with Amy, was but an idle boast. ‘‘ Drink and dissipation have ruined his mind—he is but the wreck of what he once was. Do you know sir,” he added, after a moment’s pause, “ I have often imagined that the old man has something 9 COniiclooecl SS (SO