A Silver Brand — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND. | 213 “But why do you refuse us our liberty?” questioned Lina, indignantly. | ser er di geet te “Itis allon your account, my dear. Who can see the chance to make a nice little pile slip straight through | their fingers, especially when their locker is pretty low.. Don’t you know your own value, you pretty little hum- ming bird? Don’t you know there’s them as will give their hundreds and their thousands of dollars to get you?” ‘“No, I do not; Iam sure I do not,” answered Lina. © ‘They are very careful of my safety, but they are not rich —none of the Fosses are rich—and how then can they give the money?” | : Robinson snapped his fingers lightly. “Oh, blarney! Do’I mean to squeeze a stone! The Fosses are the ones to pull the string, but there’s some- body behind. I found that out by the letter I stole—a letter that was going to that innocent Mr. Nathaniel, the hermit. <A pretty hermit! It is he that means to make the money ; but he’ll find I’ve forestalled him. Come now, just tell me who the great man is in Germany, and the quicker I yet his answer the quicker you'll be set at liberty.” “The great man’s name in Germany!” repeated Lina, | and then burst into an angry, bitter laugh, as she turned upon him with flashing eyes. “ You have miscalculated if you think to obtain any information from me. I amin utter ignorance of everything. I am the last, the very last, to whom you should look for knowledge.” “Is that true, young woman? You needn’t think you can cheat me, or stop me in this thing. I know that money will be paid freely to get you back. And, that money I mean to have, or my wits will give out.” Lina lifted up her hand with a passionate gesture. ‘“‘T tell you in the sight of Heaven, I know nothing, not even my rightful name or rank.” Another eye besides Jack’s watched her face. Stephano, through his half closed eyelids, saw every ingenuous shade of expression there. “Well, that is queer,” said Jack, evidently convinced of the truth of the assertion. ‘“ However there’s more than one way to skin acat. That Nat knows, and his papers tell. I know where he keeps them.” ee ‘‘Do you mean to keep us here until you hear from Ger- many?” asked Serena. “That will be along time. And as a starved heiress would hardly bring a very magnificent Eomicbhoo cS (Efe)