Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

Percy interrupted her with a passionate gesture, whieh, however, she interpreted as one of impatience. “Hazel, never speak tome of gratitude again—I cannot bear it,” he said, constrainedly, the very effort he made to control his suffering making him seem stern and displeased. You say I have treated you kindly, affectionately ; child, can you speak so coldly, so dispassionately, of our past relations? I have always regarded you as belonging to me; that It was my right to shield and guard you from eyery possible ill, and I have looked forward to this day of your emancipation from school with hopes such as you ean hardly comprehend. I believed that when you graduated you would come to me, and we would make a home for ourselves somewhere. I have planned for this, lived for this, until the hope has become almost apartof my life. You talk of de- pendence,” be continued, bitterly ; “think you that I | should owe you nothing for helping to make a pleas- ant home for me—that it would not repay me a thousand times more thanthe costin pounds and shillings, to be able toreturn to a genial fireside after a hard day’s work; to have my life continually cheered and beautified by your familiar presence?” Hazel’s lips trembled. The picture was yery attractive, and her heart yearned to make it a reality; but she knew that she could not go into his home to live in any such way. She lifted her eyes appealingly to him. Why could he not understand that it never would do? His face was very white and stern, and wore a stiangely pained expression. She weeny ae nS, ane YOR ADEEY as well as grieved over her refusal to do as he wished, “But I should be dependent all the MR incre eter)