Guy Earlscourt's Wife — page 221: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

rong <i the drive ke me L will istinet braith, lien 2” ed old to im- me as heath Mad What by the w men - of her OI gasp nent of » pleas- on the , never usband, » me at n, and ; stand- vn in a choking feeling O28 ee ee. mo = _ *“*‘Camilla’s Husband.” 209 “Poor ehild!” he ania, Very softly: ant 13 hard On you, And now—when is it to bye 0 : “They mean to start for ‘The Firs’ by the earliest (rain, on Cliristmas Eve. Once there. all is lost.” “Then we must be beforehand with them. Gad! what a triumph it will be over Frank!” Tle laughed as he spoke— ruined, and exiled, Guy Earlscourt could still laugh. “het us see, Will you be married in a church in this city. Misa Lisle, at daydawn, Christmas Kye?” | “Not in a chureh! such a marriage in a chureh would seem a mockery—a sacrilewe—anywhere else.” “Then, by Jove! L have it! What do you say to @ rare riage before a registrar? You walk into an ottiee. very much like any other office, and you see an official, very much like any other official, and a few words are said, a little signing and countersigning, and the thing is over. A marriawe be- fore a registrar between the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, with open doors, in the presence of two witnesses, etc., ete. Nothing can be more simple, and you wil! leave the office as legally married in the eye of the law (what you want, I take it} as though a dean and chapter had done the business. There will have to be a little fibbing about your age; . will arrange that. Will that suit you?” “Perfectly. My maid will accompany me, and I will go di- rectly home when the ceremony is over, and tell them there that [ am out of their power at last. If you will call at the house, a couple of hours later, Sir Vane will pay over to you the sum I have promised.” Te smiled slightly. “T shall eall, Miss Lisle. And now as to the hour. We must be very early, in order to be beforehand with them. Say between eight and nine? Can you be ready so early?” “] could be ready at midnight to save myself from your brother! At eight o’clock I and my maid will steal from the house and meet you wherever you say.” “My cab shall be in waiting at the corner. The coachman wiil do for the other witness. Is your maid to be trusted?” “T think so, when—well paid.” “And you will not change your mind—you will not fail?” He would not have had her fail for worlds now. The ro- mance, the piquancy of the adventure, fired his imagination. Of the future, in that hour, he never thought; just at present it looked a capital practical joke. “Am I likely to fail?” she eried, bitterly. “Mr. Harls- court,” turnthe to him with sudden passion, “i wonder what you think of me!” “T understand you!” he answered, respectfully. “Desper- . a comicbooks.com ~ : %, b. At Since ; od BoB ‘Pie Etre i" ae