Her Faithful Knight — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

Home Again. 165 to see your sister. I said to myself: “As it is so near the end of the tour, she would not go unless her sister was very ill, perhaps dying. If she finds her dead I believe it will kill her.’ I tortured myself imagining the scene until I was nearly mad. I came to the station and began meeting trains from London two and a half hours ago. ‘Great heavens!’ I said to myself, ‘supposing that she should not return—that she should leave like this, without a word of farewell! ” “Surely, you didn’t think I could be so ungrateful——” Dorothy was beginning, when he cut her short. “Ah! don’t talk of gratitude between you and me. Gratitude is such a hateful, cold word, though I am grate- ful to you for letting me adore you, even though you hate me in return.” “I don’t hate you, Mr. Darcy.” “Prove it by jumping into a fly and driving off to have a little dinner with me at the hotel close to the theatre. . You look dreadfully pale; I am certain that in the ex- citement of seeing your sister you forgot your lunch?” “I did; but £ “But you owe it to me, for I went lunchless, too, out of anxiety about you. And you needn’t worry about the proprieties, for my mother is coming to this very hotel to-morrow, and you will be lunching with her as soon as she comes. You have only just thirty-five minutes before you will have to dress for the theatre; it will do you good, and make me so happy! Here is the fly. Let me help you in. And now, driver, the Carrington Hotel as fast as you can go!” Eomichbooks (E@)