The Man in Possession — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

280 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. more, only sat there gazing into the fire, unheeding even the light badinage and cross-questioning going on between Cornelius and the pretty widow. Mrs. Lafaye rose at last to take her leave. ‘“‘T’ll come again to-morrow,” she whispered. ‘‘And try and cheer up, my dear—don’t look so miserable.” Cornelius O’Brien took her down to her carriage with that ‘‘ grand air” which sat so naturally upon him and left so pleasing an impression on those of the fairsex whom he favoured with its courtesies. Mrs, Lafaye, however, distrusted it, and him. Mentally she summed him up as “a humbug,” and would have rejoiced to tell him so, but her feeling for Kate counselled diplomacy, and the thought did not com- -mit her to the rashness of utterance. She knew it would be unwise to hint at herscheme while it was in its present unripe stage. Froma moneyed point of view Tom Rivers was quite as good a match as Sir Wilfred Jocelyn, though he would not be likely to prove so weak a tool in the hands of his father-in law. This new complication of matters was, however, seriously disturbing. It was hardly possible that Kate could break off her engagement when Sir Wilfred was ill and helpless and depen- dent. No, it must go on, and they would have to wait the turn of events with that patience they could. She brooded over every possible and impossible aspect of the affair during her drive back to the hotel, and her pretty rzan/e face looked almost melancholy as she walked through the stately entrance hall ECOMNCE OOO SS) (SO