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Reade, Charles, 1814-1884

"A Woman-Hater"

"There," said he, "this is the
card he gave me, 'Mr. Joseph Ashmead.' Now, may this train dash over the
next viaduct, and take you and Miss Vizard to heaven, and me to hell, if
I ever saw Mr. Joseph Ashmead's face before. THE MONEY!--THE MONEY!"
He uttered this furiously, and, it is a curious fact; but Zoe turned red,
and Fanny pale. It was really in quite a cowed voice Miss Dover went on
to say, "La! don't fly out like that. Well, then, the man refused to bet
with your money; so then Mademoiselle Klosking said she would; and she
played--oh, how she did play! She doubled, and doubled, and doubled,
hundreds upon hundreds. She made a mountain of gold and a pyramid of
bank-notes; and she never stopped till she broke the bank--there!"
"With my money?" gasped Severne.
"Yes; with your money. Your friend with the loud tie pocketed it; I beg
your pardon, not your friend--only hers. Harrington says he is her _cher
ami."_
"The money is mine!" he shrieked. "I don't care who played with it, it is
mine. And the fellow had the impudence to send me back my fifty pounds to
the Russie."
"What! you gave him your address?" this with an involuntary glance of
surprise at Zoe.


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