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Gissing, George, 1857-1903

"The Unclassed"

It's my belief he's one
too many for you, Harriet; you're too simple-minded to catch him."
"I'll have a good try, though," cried the girl, deadly pale with
passion. "Perhaps I'm not so simple as you think. I'm pretty quick
in tumbling to things--no fear. If they think I don't notice what
goes on, they must take me for a damned silly fool, that's all! Why,
I've seen them wink at each other, when they thought I wasn't
looking."
"You're not such a fool as to leave them alone together?" said the
woman, who seemed to have a pleasure in working upon Harriet's
jealousy.
"No fear! But they understand each other; I can see that well
enough. And he writes to her; I'm dead sure he writes to her. Let me
get hold of a letter just once, that's all!"
"And he's orful good-natured to her, ain't he? Looks after her when
she has tea with you, and so on?"
"I should think he did. It's all--'Won't Miss Starr have this?'
and 'Won't Miss Starr have that?' He scarcely takes his eyes off of
her, all the time."
"I know, I know; it's allus the same! You keep your eyes open,
Harriet, and you'll 'ave your reward, as the Scriptures says."
When she reached home, Julian was in the uneasy condition always
brought about by these late absences.


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