The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 91 inclined to think that the Evil Genius of the family might be Randal Linley, after all! They had both taken the shortest way to the garden; that is to say, the way through the library, which communicated at its furthest end with the corridor and the vaulted flight of stairs leading directly out of the house. Of the two doors in the draw- ing-room one, on the left, led to the grand staircase and the hall; the other, on the right, opened on the back stairs, and on a side entrance to the house, used by the family when they were pressed for time, as well as by the servants. The drawing-room had not been empty more than a few minutes when the door on the right was suddenly opened. Herbert Linley entered with hurried, uncertain steps. He took the chair that was nearest to him, and dropped into it likea man overpowered by agitation or fatigue. He had ridden from the farm at headlong speed, terrified by the unexplained delay in the arrival of the messenger from home. Unable any longer to suffer the torment of unrelieved suspense, he had returned to make inguiry at the house. As he interpreted the otherwise inexplicable neglect of his in- structions, the last chance of saving the child’s lite had failed, and his wife had been afraid to tell him the dreadful truth. After an interval he rose and went into the library. It was empty, like the drawing-room. The bell was close by him. He lifted his hand to ring it—and drew back. As brave a man as ever lived, he knew what fear was now. The father’s courage failed him before the prospect of summoning a servant, Fp geen for all he knew to the contrary, that his child was ead. How long he stood there, alone and irresolute, he never re- membered when he thought of it in after days. All he knew was that there came a time when a sound in the drawing-room attracted his attention. It was nothing more important than the opening of a door. The sound came from that side of the room which was nearest to the grand staircase—and therefore nearest also to the hall— in One direction, and to the bed-chamber in the other. Some person had entered the room. Whether it was one of the family, or one of the servants, he would hear in either case what had happened in his absence. He parted the curtains over the library entrance, and looked through. The person wasa woman. She stood with her back turned toward the library, lifting a cloak off a chair. As she shook the cloak out, before putting it on, she changed her position. He saw the face, never to be forgotten by him to the last day of his life. Hesaw Sydney Westerfield. CHAPTER XXI. THE GOVERNESS. LINLEY had one instant left, in which he might have drawn back into the library in time to escape Sydney's notice. He was incapable of the effort of will. Grief andsuspense had deprived CORNICLOO S (C(O) im