The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

60 THE FREEMASON’S DAUGHTER. long your image has been treasured in my heart, you would not blame me for my boldness !”’ ‘‘ Blame you,” exclaimed the young man, “ for the confession which makes me happy, for that truthfulness of character which 1s life’s best ornament! Oh, never, Amy—never! I should be unworthy of your love did I not appreciate its frankness.” ‘But your uncle 2?” “Ts but my uncle. His opposition may retard, but cannot prevent our happiness. I confess, Amy, that even your love would find an alloy, were it encoun- tered by a parent’s opposition. Fortunately, we have no such misery to dread. Your mother already loves me like a son.” ‘‘ And Richard—dear Richard,” interrupted Amy, ‘‘ will rejoice in the prospect of his sister’s happiness.” It was at this moment, as the two lovers were standing, hand in hand, by the piano, that the old clerk entered the room. Beacham’s departure, and what took place between him and the clerk, is already known to our readers. That every evening the happy girl confided to her brother the secret of her love, and the poor fellow felt a weight removed from his breast by Beacham’s decla- ration; for, with the keen-sightedness of fraternal affection, he had long been aware of the state of Amy’s heart. ’ : The next morning, as Amy was hastening home after having taken back the work on which for the last three ecomnuicloooks (SO