The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

82 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. ‘Good morning, sir,” she faltered in reply. “Is your husband at home ?”’ “No,” she answered; “he is gone over to the factory, in the hope of obtaining a place. His em- ployers, Gawing and Brown, respect him, for they know that he has a large family, and is neither a drunkard nor an idler. If work is to be had, Tim is sure to obtain it. Thank God he is as well known as he is respected.” ‘© Doubtless,” replied Marjoram, drily. _ © But did you want to see my husband ?” demanded the woman anxiously, « Yes.” Particularly ?” “Very particularly.” “Good heavens!” exclaimed Meg, thrown off her balance by the solemnity of the speaker’s manner, “ is anything the matter? You can’t want him about justice business, that I know, for Tim’s honesty is pro- verbial. We have wanted bread for the children, and been often pinched to pay the landlord and the baker, but when times turned round we did pay them; and never a wrong thought or an evil wish entered the heart of either my husband or myself; so I am quite easy on that score.” “* Are you ?”’ “ Yes,” repeated the woman, nervously ; ‘‘ quite.” Marjoram thus far was perfectly satisfied with the effect his visit had produced. He saw that the wife, ecomnuicloooks (SO