Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

eagerly toward her, words of passionate love and pleading quivering upon his tongue. Then he suddenly checked himself; his color re- ceded, the light died out of his face, and all the pride of his nature asserted itself, for all at once he remiem- bered that Hazel was no longer the poor, friendless irl who for years he had shielded and watched with ealous care. She was now Miss Graham, daughter of the wealthy and aristocratic Mrs. Earlescourt, whom all London honored, while he was but a struggling physician, without even a birthright that he could claim, seek- ing to make @ name and a place in the world for himself. What business had he to try to win this lovely girl —what right had he to ask her to share his humble station when she was fitted, both by birth and edu- cation, to mate with any peer of the realin ? “Were you wise, Hazel? Were you not too hasty, and will you not regret your decision later?” he asked at last, and exercising a strong control over himself. She lifted a look of frank surprise to him. “Why should I regret it, Percy, wheu—when I do not love hit ?”’ she questioned. Again his heart leaped wildly at her words. “But are you swe that you do not?’ he persisted, determined that she should make no inistake for lack of Seg counsel. “It is evident that he cares a reat deal for you, and you wight learn to reyxard him with proper affection by and by. It would bea brilliant future for you, Hazel.” A vivid scarlet flamed Hazel’s face to hear him thus | pleading the cause of another, when she would so ladly have given herself to him if he hi ake) her 6 “Would you advise me to marry Nas RISE oe