The Man in Possession — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

256 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. opened her great black feather fan, and swayed it gracefully to fro. He bit his lip. ‘‘We hadn’t much in common. And I think he wasn’t sorry to see the last of me.” ‘‘And,” she went on, as if there had been no in- terruption, ‘‘a young lady who afforded me unend- ing interest. Need I mention the name?” ‘‘I—I can hardly fancy any young lady at Croft would have had any special memory of my unworthy self.” ‘*No?” she questioned. ‘‘ You do yourself an in- justice, Mr. Rivers. There was one, Miss O’Brien. Would you be surprised to hear we struck up a great friendship. Indeed, I have come up to town now exclusively on her account.” ‘‘Indeed,” stammered the young man. He felt and looked bewildered. There was some hidden meaning in Mrs. Lafaye’s looks and words, and he could not imagine what that meaning was. Mrs. Lafaye turned abruptly to Colonel Lawrence. ‘‘Colonel,” she said, with the deepest gravity, ‘‘I did not tell you what was the real reason of my visit to England. ButI am going to be candid. Ever since my school days I have been possessed by one absorbing soul-engrossing idea to behold—a dun- geon—a real historical, good, old gloomy dungeon. Don’t smile, Mr. Rivers. We've many great and magnificent institutions in America, but we can’t run to dungeons. Now, Colonel, if you will make your way across the room and go to that table by the fire- place you'll find a book of English castles, illustrated. There’s sure to be some with dungeons. I'll leave COMicloe (Sri C(O)