The Man in Possession — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

184 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. But I found there were worse things to bear than these.” Her face was shadowed now. The eyes bent on the fire looked strangely sad and mournful. ‘‘T don't know why I should tell you,” she said. ‘‘T’ve never told any one before. But if we're to be friends—and I felt we were the moment I saw you— I may as well be frank from the beginning. You don't look like a girl who chatters, so I won’t preface my story by saying ‘Let it go no further.’ I feel there’s no need.”’ ‘* You are quite right,” said Kate earnestly. ‘‘I know it. Well, I told you my experience began very early. It wasn't pleasant, it wasn’t safe either, for a woman. I had married ignorantly, thought- lessly, perhaps selfishly. I was made to feel that every one of these reasons was criminal. I was made to pay to the uttermost farthing the debt of obliga- tion I had incurrred. I learnt how loathsome and terrible a thing a woman's bondage is, and though I might have claimed freedom, I dared not. To say I went in fear of my life is to say very little. I went in worse fear and worse peril.” For a moment she covered her face with her hands. Kate saw that she was trembling violently. ‘‘] had only one friend, one noble single-hearted, devoted friend,” she:-went on. ‘‘ What he did, how he thought of and for me, what he saved me, even I hardly know. And this man was made the Instru- ment of my, punishment. The dark clouds that lowered so thickly over my head threatened to break over his, Then at last I knew what temptation was. COMicloe (Sri C(O)