The Man in Possession — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 217 be afther worrying your purty head about it. Shure wouldn’t I love to be off this blessed minnit and tell every one of thim dirty tradesfolk that they needn't be troublin’ to call for saioeiarl It's not the likes o thim we'd be employin’ now.’ ‘‘QOh, pray, Biddy, don't do anything of the sort,” exclaimed Kate in alarm. ‘‘They’d only laugh and insist upon immediate payment, and papa can't com- mand enough ready money yet to satisfy all their claims.” ‘Well, I'll be politic, Miss Kate, deary, if its more agrayable to you—whist! . .. was that a knock?” ‘““Yes,” said Kate. ‘‘ Perhaps it’s Smith again, Biddy. Ifso, I'll see him. No, you needn't light the lamp. Those two candles are quite light enough with this fire.” Biddy took up the tray and departed. Kate re- mained there in the same low chair, the firelight playing on her rich hair and the somewhat pale and melancholy beauty of her face. She lifted her head as the door opened, and glanced somewhat curiously at the visitor—the tall figure in the brown ulster, The fair head with its loose fringe of hair falling over the brows struck her again with that odd sense of familiarity. ‘‘Good-evening, Smith,” she said. ‘‘ Pray come in.” Her voice was cold and consfrained. She did not look up as he advanced. He only answered her greeting by a ‘‘Good-evening, Miss,” spoken in a voice very low and subdued. ‘‘T am sorry,” continued Kate, ‘‘that you have ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO