Page:Paul Clifford Vol 2.djvu/281

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PAUL CLIFFORD.
273

watch, Sir," quoth he, and as he spoke he thrust it carelessly into his coat-pocket, as a school-boy would thrust a peg-top, "is heavy; but trusting to experience, since an accurate survey is denied me, I fear it is more valuable from its weight than its workmanship: however, I will not wound your vanity by affecting to be fastidious. But surely the young lady, as you call her,—(for I pay you the compliment of believing your word as to her age, inasmuch as the night is too dark to allow me the happiness of a personal inspection,)—the young lady has surely some little trinket she can dispense with; 'Beauty when unadorned,' you know, &."

Lucy, who, though greatly frightened, lost neither her senses nor her presence of mind, only answered by drawing forth a little silk purse, that contained still less than the leathern convenience of the Squire; to this she added a gold chain: and Tomlinson, taking them with an affectionate squeeze of the hand, and a polite apology, was about to withdraw, when his sagacious eyes were