H. C. Bailey

“ Mr. Hadley was now full of common sense. Mr. Hadley sagely argued with his uncle that they would do more harm than good by carrying their tale to Lady Waverton. The woman was a fool in grain, and whatever she did would surely do it in the silliest way. Tell her a word, and she would swiftly give birth to a scandal which the world would not willingly let die, in which Mr. Harry Boyce, if he were indeed the knave of their hypothesis, might easily find a means to strengthen his grip of Alison. It was better to wait and (so Mr. Hadley with a sour smile) "see which way the cat jumped." ”

“ Lord, what a fool is a man to go mad for a show of pink and white!"
"And is that all I am?"
Harry shrugged. "Item—a pair of eyes that look sideways; item—a woman's body with arms and sufficient legs."
"Lud, it's an inventory! I'm for sale, then. Well, what's your bid?"
"I've a shilling in my pocket ma'am and want it to buy tobacco."
"Oh, silly, what does a man pay for a woman?"
Harry laughed. "Why, nothing, if she's worth buying."
Then Alison said softly, "Going—going—gone," and clapped her hands and laughed.
"You go beyond me at least," Harry said in a moment. ”

“ She made no account of all his wise, honest talk about being poor while she was rich. To her temper it was impossible that a man who wanted her in his arms should stop to weigh his purse and hers, or to consider what the world would say of him for wooing her. ”

“ Indeed, she had proof—she could still make herself feel the ache of his grasp in the wood—that he was on occasion as fierce as any woman need want a man. Why, then, monsieur must be defying her out of wanton pride. A marvellous fellow, who dared think himself too good for her. ”