The Man in Possession — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

288 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. “Tt is a Heaven-sent one,” he said reverently. ‘‘T can hardly believe in it yet.” “T think you must be two wonderfully unselfish people,” said Tom. ‘* Here you are both interesting yourselves in another love affair instead of being exclusively absorbed in your own. Is that an Amer- ican idiosyncrasy ?” The Colonel smiled. ‘‘I cannot say. But I have been swept away on the current of Annette’s en- thusiasm, and cannot help sharing in it for your sake also.” Tom rose, and began to pace the room. ‘‘It’s no use hoping against hope,” he said gloomily. ‘‘ Mrs. Lafaye has done her best to make amends for my folly, but 1 can see it is useless—now. I haven’t even a fair field for fighting. There seems something mean In taking advantage of that unfortunate fellow’s accident. Fate has favoured him. I had better re- treat gracefully, and resign myself to the inevitable. ” ‘‘] think you would be wise,” said Colonel Law- rence gently. He had not carried out his mission at all as Mrs. Lafaye had directed. He had been told to encourage Tom, to bid him hope still—above all, to give him that grain of comfort contained in Kate’s relenting attitude of the morning. He, however, judged it wiser to discourage hope instead of assisting it, and he mentioned nothing about Kate's inclination for forgiveness. ‘‘Do you know what I would advise you to do?” he continued, after a brief silence. ‘‘To go away from here altogether. Travel, study life, and manners, and people. You have plenty of COMicloe (Sri C(O)