The Man in Possession — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

172 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. ‘‘What makes you think they don’t like me?” asked Kate. ‘‘QOh, a hundred things—looks, hints, the turn of their backs. Study a woman’s back if you would read her character, Miss O’Brien. They can mask their faces, but they forget their backs.” ‘‘T never knew that before,” said Kate, laughing. ‘But you're quite right. I’m decidedly unpopular here. But, as I leave in a couple of days, it doesn’t much matter.” ‘*©Qh, do you goso soon? I'm real sorry,” said the pretty American, seating herself on one of the basket chairs. ‘‘You know I came here just to please Lady Jocelyn. She’s real good and kind-hearted, and I’m very fond of her. But I can’t bear that Westmoreland woman,’ she added abruptly. ‘‘Hope she’s not a friend of yours?” ‘‘Qh, dear, no,” said Kate. ‘‘I think she hates me.” ‘‘T suppose she wanted to catch Jocelyn for one of her girls. I’m glad she didn't. He’s less of a fool than . . . Oh, I beg your pardon, Miss O’Brien. I forgot. . . . How stupid of me!” ‘‘T’m not offended,” said Kate. ‘Well, you're very good-natured. But you see I’ve not much opinion of men. Specially young British men. They’re too lazy, and too Weak, and too fond of dissipation. They’re bored to death with life before they’ve half-lived it. They’re selfish and extravagant, because they kill outall better and purer feelings before they leave off Eton jackets. They laugh at sentiment, and say romance went out with COMicloe (Sri C(O)