Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

The young girl's lip quivered and her heart throbbed painfully, Waa nob she, too, alone in the world! She longed—oh, how she longed to yield to his re- quest, and if he had bat spoken one word of the great love that was surging in his heart—it he had but asked her to come to hity a8- his wife, she would have thrown herself upon his breast and ylelded only too willingly. “T cannot,” she repeated, with downenst eyes, but _ bs voice ao firm that it pierced his heart jike a nife. . . Hesighed heavily; there waa a moment or two of silence, then with an effort, Percy asked in his usual kindly tone: . "How are you getting on, Hazel, in your position? Do you find it pleasant ?” “Yes, she answered. ‘Mrs, Stewart is very kind, Belle is good company and considerate. and my duties are neither hard nor irksome. But, Perey,” she added, looking up at him and speaking ina low, eager toue. asif some sudden and imporbant idea had struck her, ‘‘please do not let any one here sus- pect that you know me.” He looked at her ainazed. “Why not?’ he demanded, in a stern, displeased tone, und growing pale to his lips at her strange re- pe a “Why do you ask such an unheard of thing of me?’ “Because—of my position,” ahe returned, flushing crimson. “Do you imagine that IT would be ashamed to be known as your friend simply bDecanse you bave be- come a soyerness {’’ he asked, his lips curling with scorn at the idea, “Oh, no; I know that you would never be ashamed of me for that; but if others knew that I belonged to you in any way——” — “It is very evident that you do not care to belong to me in any wuy,” be interrupted, bitterly. “But it might injure you.” “People might think it very strange that I should be &@ governess When—when 21 “When lam abundantly able to take care of you," he supplied, asshe hesitated. ‘Yes, I suppose they would and with reagon, But what of that?, You do beloag to me by right @f the past, and Ricomicbockstcorm