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your¡¡hands¡¡of¡¡it£»¡¡eh£¿¡¨



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question¡£



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accents¡¡of¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Rice¡¡addressed¡¡to¡¡Clementina¡¡which¡¡were¡¡now¡¡plainly

audible¡£



¡¨I¡¡see¡¡heaps¡¡of¡¡money¡¡and¡¡a¡¡great¡¡many¡¡friends¡¡in¡¡the¡¡change¡¡that

is¡¡coming¡¡to¡¡you¡£¡¡¡¡Dear¡¡me£¡¡¡how¡¡many¡¡suitors£¡¡¡¡¡But¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡promise

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¡¨Thank¡¡you¡¡for¡¡nothing£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Clementina's¡¡voice¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨But¡¡what¡¡are

those¡¡horrid¡¡black¡¡cards¡¡beside¡¡them£¿that's¡¡trouble£»¡¡I'm¡¡sure¡£¡¨



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house£»¡¡perhaps¡£¡¨



¡¨He¡¡means¡¡himself£»¡¡Miss¡¡Clementina£»¡¨¡¡struck¡¡in¡¡Grant's¡¡voice

laughingly¡£



¡¨You're¡¡not¡¡listening£»¡¡Miss¡¡Harkutt£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Rice¡¡with¡¡half¡­serious

reproach¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨Perhaps¡¡you¡¡know¡¡who¡¡it¡¡is£¿¡¨



But¡¡Miss¡¡Clementina's¡¡reply¡¡was¡¡simply¡¡a¡¡hurried¡¡recognition¡¡of¡¡her

father's¡¡pale¡¡face¡¡that¡¡here¡¡suddenly¡¡confronted¡¡her¡¡with¡¡the

opening¡¡door¡£



¡¨Why£»¡¡it's¡¡father£¡¡¨





CHAPTER¡¡III¡£





In¡¡his¡¡strange¡¡mental¡¡condition¡¡even¡¡the¡¡change¡¡from¡¡Harkutt's

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Curtis£»¡¡yet¡¡it¡¡was¡¡part¡¡of¡¡that¡¡mental¡¡condition¡¡that¡¡he¡¡kept

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another¡¡more¡¡vague¡¡one¡¡that¡¡was¡¡dimly¡¡in¡¡his¡¡mind¡£¡¡¡¡Yet¡¡in¡¡his

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practicable£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡he¡¡need¡¡do¡¡nothing¡£¡¡¡¡Perhaps¡¡it¡¡was¡¡a

mysterious¡¡providence£¡



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companions¡£¡¡¡¡Overcome¡¡at¡¡the¡¡dreadful¡¡prospect¡¡of¡¡walking¡¡home¡¡in

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already¡¡told¡¡by¡¡the¡¡unsuspecting¡¡Peters¡¡in¡¡the¡¡preceding¡¡chapter¡£



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