The Man in Possession — page 323: what you’re looking at

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

318 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. engagement because I can plainly see she’s very un- happy, and because I know shecares for some other fellow.” ‘But who is he?” asked O'Brien quickly. ‘It's all very fine for you to talk like this, but I’ve some right to be consulted.” ‘Well you can ask Kate about it,” said Sir Wilfred gloomily. ‘‘Though I should have thought you'd have been clever enough to see how the cat jumped long ago.” Apparently Cornelius did not consider that this feline feat, whether metaphorical or not, was worthy of remark for he turned to leave the room. Sir Wil- fred called out after him not to bother Kate as she was ill and tired, but he vouchsafed no answer. However, he did not disturb his daughter—that could wait—he told himself. He simply called a hansom and had himself driven to the Langham Hotel and requested to see Mrs. Lafaye. The pretty American received him in her private sitting-room, wondering not a little what could have brought him there at so unusual an hour for callers. ‘‘What’s wrong? ” she asked quickly as she looked into his troubled face. He sat down by the table and began to pour out his grievances with an injured air, She watched him and listened to him, recog- nising as she had often done the selfishness of his character and the onesidedness of his opinions. But the news startled her. That Sir Wilfred should have so suddenly and unexpectedly cut the Gordian Knot of difficulty seemed almost incredible. ‘‘Are you sure you've made no mistake?” she COMICOOOKS.€O