The Man in Possession — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 35 the music hall is supposed to possess special attrac- tions, as not taxing their powers of understanding by the amusement provided, and affording perpetual opportunity for refreshment during the process of such amusement. ‘‘T did not say I liked them,” the young man said meekly ; ‘‘asa matter of factI don’t. They are vulgar ; they are really not amusing ; and the entertainment they offer always seems to me an insult to anything like refinement or cultivated tastes.” Strange ideas for acarpenter! The girl was startled into silence and wonder again for a few moments. She went on stirring the pudding, and the young man watched her in respectful silence. ‘What can be keeping Biddy?” she exclaimed at last, as she glanced at the clock. ‘‘It will soon be midnight. I hope nothing has happened to her.” The young man cheerfully declared that nothing could have happened, but the girl was growing very uneasy as time went on. | The pudding was finished at last and emptied into a mould and tied up ready for boiling. Nothing more remained to be done now. Kate wondered whether she should offer supper to this singular individual. ‘‘I am going to see if my father is awake,” she said at last. ‘‘Perhaps you will come up in the dining-room. Surely Fletcher will be back soon. I’m~ afraid,” she added ruefully, ‘‘I can’t offer you much in the way of refreshment, as my servant has not re- turned and Fletcher always fetched his own beer.” He laughed. ‘‘I donot drink beer,” hesaid, ‘‘so Iam saved the trouble of fetching it. Iam only sorry COMicloe (Sri C(O)