A Silver Brand — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND 69 . and Penelope’s appearance. She walked up to him and asked hurriedly: Ae: “Have you any objection to my taking her down to the old hermit’s cabin? You know she has been in the habit of going there. You or Urbanus ma follow at a safe distance, if you like.” nes “| can’t see any harm,” returned Paul. | “Then we will go at once.” Penelope turned back for her shawl and the prim gray sun-bonnet, and Lina came dancing out with her hat-ribbons flying and her curls keeping them gay company. ? ~ i Paul and Urbanus both followed, just near enough to keep the two figures in sight, and saw them safely into the hermit’s door, and then one remained for Beate and the other strolled slowly down to the wharf. . Nat had opened the door for them. A man of tall’ figure, fine and straight, and athletic of limb, with long hair of soft brown just streaking with gray, which fell down from his chin in a patriarchal beard, and hung in curling locks around his neck, in the ancient, obsolete fashion. And yet it was. picturesque enough. Lina believed Nat to be one -of the handsomest men inthe world. She found a head among her pictures representing a noble cava- lier of the times of Queen Bess, and declared, noble as it was, it could not compare with Nat’s. It was true enough, as she said, that he kept a particular manner for her benefit. No one else saw exactly that courtly gentleness and graceful gallantry which were always at this girl’s service. Now, as he perceived her companion, there came a, shade of formality to cover the bright smile which had responded to hers. He bowed silently, and set Penelope a chair, and then began to gather up the litter upon the table—wax, and scissors, and needles, and a box of bright-colored silk spools. Lina took up the brilliant little atom upon which che was at work. ’ “A new humming-bird! .Oh, Nat, how splendid he is! He is equal to a whole set of jewels. Where <S did you get him?” ‘COMIEDOO com