The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

THh VIL. GLNIUs. sD) fied allrestraint. He seized her hands and covered them with grateful kisses. ‘‘ Dear Sydney! Dear, good Sydney!” She drew back from him, not abruptiy, not as if she felt offended. Her fine perception penetrated the meaning of those harmless kisses—the uncontrollable outburst of a sense of relief beyond the reach of expression in words. But she changed the subject. Mrs. Linley, she told him, had kindly ordered fresh horses to be put to the carriage, so that she might go back to her duties if the doctor sanctioned it. She turned away to take up her cloak. Linley stopped her. <“¢You can’t leave Kitty,” he said, positively. A faint smile brightened her face fora moment. ‘‘ Kitty has fallen asleep—such a sweet, peaceful sleep! I don’t think I should have left her but for that. The maid is watching at the bedside, and Mrs. Linley is only away for a little while.” ‘‘ Wait a few minutes,” he pleaded, ‘‘ it’s so long since we have seen each other.” The tone in which he spoke warned her to persist in leaving him while her resolution remained firm. ‘‘ {i had arranged with Mrs. MacEdwin,” she began, ‘‘if all went well , ‘‘Speak of yourself,” he interposed. ‘‘ Tell me if you are happy.” She let this pass without a reply. ‘‘The doctor sees no harm,” she went on, ‘‘in my being away fora fewhours. Mrs. Mac- Edwin has offered to send me here in the evening, so that I can sleep in Kitty’s room.” ‘You don’t look well, Sydney. You are paleand worn—you are not happy.” She began to tremble. For the second time she turned away to take up her cloak; for the second time he stopped her. ‘‘Not just yet,” he said. ‘‘ You don’t know how it distresses me to see you so sadly changed. I remember the time when it was such a pleasure to see you happy. Do you remember that time?” ‘¢ Don’t ask me,” was all she could say. He sighed as he looked at her. ‘‘ It’s dreadful to think of your young life, that ought to be so bright, wasting and withering among strangers.” He said those words with increasing agita- tion; his eyes rested on her eagerly with a wild look in them, She made a resolute effort to speak to him coldly—she called him ‘* Mr. Linley ”—she bade him good-bye. It was useless. He stood between her and the door; he disre- garded what she had said as if he had not heard it. ‘‘ Hardly a day passes,” he owned to her, ‘‘ that I don’t think of you.” ‘You shouldn’t tell me that!” ‘How can I see you again, and not tell you?” She burst out with a last entreaty. ‘‘ For God’s sake, let us say good-bye!” His manner became undisguisedly tender; hislanguage changed in the one way of all others that was most perilous to her—he oer to her pity, ‘*‘ Oh, Sidney, it’s so hard to part with you EOMMICLOOOKS (E) im