The Man in Possession — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

142 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. motive misinterpreted by the girl’s passionate humili- ation flashed before him as the mean and base thing she declared it to be; every moment his condition became more hopeless, and his misery more intense, and yet—he was silent. Oh, wonderful patience of man! What woman could sit calmly down and hear herself lashed by the tongue of scorn and upbraided by the voice she loved the best, and yet be dumb and uncomplaining, for fifteen long minutes ? Truly the faults of this young man were many, and his follies not a few; yet, when judged by those who are wiser and better, let this quarter of an hour of patiently borne reproaches plead a little in his favour. It shall not justify him—far from it—but it may lead his judges to say, ‘‘ Truly the case of this youth was exceedingly hard, but so was his punishment.” ‘¢Don’t you ever mean to speak? Have you noth- ing to say?” exclaimed Kate at last when speech and wrath were well-nigh exhausted, and the hysterical termination which threatens most feminine anger was dangerously imminent. ‘‘T have a great deal to say,” said the criminal humbly, ‘‘but I'm afraid it would be of very little use.” ‘‘IT am quite convinced of that,” said the young Juno witheringly, ‘‘so perhaps it is just as well you dont intend to say it. Andnow I will wish you good-bye, and I trust,” she added cuttingly, ‘‘ that the next country-house you visit will benefit as much COMicloe (Sri C(O)