The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 51 of Mr. Crab’s domestic establishment—for that gentle- was a bachelor—rushed into the yard. Some one had told her that the new patient was in a state of violent excitement, and had seized hold of the girl as a pro- tection, threatening to dash her brains out if the keepers approached him. “Secure him,” she exclaimed, addressing the men. “Why do-you stand lke a pack of curs, when you should use your hands? Where is my child?” she added, “‘ where is Lizzy ?”’ “Here, mother,” replied the girl; “here, with my poor old friend, Mr. Gridley.” } The woman’s astonishment and terror were instantly calmed. She saw the speaker, instead of being, as she expected, in the arms of a raving maniac, quietly standing by a poor, weak, gray-headed man, who was weeping bitterly, whom she was trying to soothe. ‘© Mad!” sobbed the old man, “or treated like a madman !” “No, no,” said the girl, innocently, ‘‘ you are only tipsy.” Mr. Crab whispered something to the mother of the speaker—doubtless a hint to remove her from the yard, for although so young, canny possessed an intelligence beyond her years. “ Ay,” repeated the old clerk, “drunk, drunk. My sin has found me—drink has been my ruin! It beggared my youth, dishonoured my manhood, and consigns my age to the horrors of a madhouse! But E 2 COniiclooecl SS (SO