The Illegal Marriage — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

* ’ od THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. 169 “Peyton, I would not have done it for the world under other circumstances. She tried to shield him, even tome; and hinted to me what he tells me there, that he went away before dark. I believed them. He is to marry her, and—and I should—I aes have given him ten times as much for her sake.” Both men understood his feelings thoroughly, and touched as lightly upon the subject as they could; but they shook his faith in Alfred at last, and he was deeply shocked at the suspicions which they revealed to him. If Alfred were, indeed, the villain that these skillful men would make him, then must he watch carefully over Cecy. He could not leave her now. “Martin,” said Stannard, at length, “this thing has quite upset me. I wonder how many more horrors there are to be in this affair. I cannot go home, now; but you go to my house and attend to Appling when he comes up. I give you the letters— but remember I will have nothing to do with the matter until you convince me by something more than suspicion. It seems incredible to me—why just look at it, he had everything in the world to make him an honest man!” “T thought of him from the first,” said Crawford ; “Tam sure he isa bad young fellow, and not worthy of any really noble girl.” “Well! let us work,” said Martin, rising; “I have a long ride before me before night.” “JT must go, too. Stannard, you shall hear from me, or see me in a day or two.” “Come up if you can, Peyton, I wish you would.” “T’lltry. At any rate make your mind easy; we shall leave no trace unfollowed. Good-by.” “Do all you can for her, Peyton,” said Stannard, with trembling lip, as he shook hands with his — friends in the passage. Gomicbooks €O