The Man in Possession — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

308 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. ‘versation with the others, indulging in her usual badinage and airy nonsense, though all the time her heart ached as she noted Kate's pallor, and the shadows round her eyes, and the listless smile that had used to be so bright and gracious. ‘‘Colonel Lawrence has been telling me all about New York and Washington,” said Kate at last. ‘‘He has quite fired me with ambition to prove my own country has equal advantages.” “Tf you could only take him to Croft,” said Mrs. Lafaye, ‘‘or get Lady Westmoreland to escort him to a Primrose League meeting, he would be converted to your opinion straight off.” ‘‘Are either of these agencies to such conversion as hopeless as they are powerful?” asked the Col- onel. ‘Annette seems to convey as much.” ‘“Oh, no,” said Kate. ‘‘They are feasible enough, but I doubt their efficacy.” “It is a national virtue of ours to adore our country and all its institutions,” said Mrs. Lafaye. ‘‘And we never find them so adorable as when weve left them behind us, or are aspersing the habits and manners and institutions of another country.” ‘‘I have not aspersed anything here,” said the Colonel, regarding her with his grave smile. ‘‘I am too grateful.” The quick glance of her uplifted eyes told him she understood, and the quick stab of pain at Kate's heart told her how much she had missed—how far she was from any possibility of such happiness as seemed the very breath and life of these united lovers. COMicloe (Sri C(O)