Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

112 NOW IT 1S BOB, THE MAGICIAN. ‘‘T am his most deadly foe, if he but knew it.”’ ‘Then I might reconsider,’’ she murmurs. ‘Ah! you raise my hopes again. You said ‘I refuse.’ ”’ | ‘*T repeat it—I refuse.’ ‘That makes twice—you know two negatives ty ‘‘Make an affirmative. You mean yes?”’ She nods her head. ‘‘Oh, Bob, please don’t,’? but Bobis not to be balked, and he has her in his arms, this eccentric Miss Gordon, who astonishes and charms nearly all with whom she comes in contact. Presently he is influenced to be rational, and sit down, but only her promise to share the sofa with him, which she coyly does after smoothing her ruffed plumage before the mirror, influences the ardent lover. “You promised Monsieur Merle, and I am going to keep you to it,’’ he says. ‘‘Do you really mean it—so sudden—I am in a whirl—I cannot realize that I have promised to give up my independence so soon.”’ ‘You shall be just as independent when you are my wife as when single. I have reasons for desiring this step,’’ he says, soberly. “You wish it, sincerely ?”’ a | do.’ ‘‘And you won’t think any the worse of me on account of my yielding ?’’ ‘‘I will bless you as long as you live for so freely CORPMICE OOKS. COM) =