The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 105 ‘“What do you mean, mamma?” Mrs. Presty had lived in the past age, when persons occasion- ally used metaphor as an aid to the expression of their ideas, Being called upon to explain herself, she did it in a metaphor, to her own entire satisfaction. ‘‘Our learned friend here reminds me, my dear Catherine, of a traveler exploring a strange town. He takes a turning, in the confident expectation that it will reward him by leading to some satisfactory result—and he finds himself in a blind alley, or, as the French put it(I speak French fluently), in a cool de sack. Do I make my meaning clear, Mr. Sarrazin ?” ‘‘ Not the least in the world, ma’am.” ‘‘ How very extraordinary! Perhaps I have been misled by my own vivid imagination. Let me endeavor to express myself plainly, let me say that my fancy looks prophetically at what ou are going to do and sincerely wishes you well out of it. ray goon.” ‘And pray speak more plainly than my mother has spoken,” Mrs. Linley added. ‘*As I understand what you said just now, there is a law, after all, that will protect me in the pos- session of my littie girl. J don’t care what it costs; I want that ‘* May I ask first,” Mr. Sarrazin stipulated, ‘‘ whether you are positively resolved not to give way to your husband in this mat- ter of Kitty?” ** Positively.” ‘‘One more question, if you please, on a matter of fact. I have heard that you were married in Scotland. Is that true ?” ‘* Quite true.” Mr. Sarrazin exhibited himself once more in a highly unpro- fessional aspect. He clapped his hands, and cried, ‘* Bravo!” as if he had been in a theater. Mrs. Linley caught the infection of the lawyer’s excitement. ‘‘ How dull lam!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ There is a thing they call ‘incompatibility of temper,’ and married people sign a paper at the lawyer’s, and promise never to trouble each other again as long as they both live. And they’re readier to do it in Scotland than they are in England. That’s what you mean, isn’t it?” Mr. Sarrazin found it necessary to reassume his professional character. ** No, indeed, madam,” he said, *‘ I should be unworthy of your confidence if 1 proposed nothing better than that. You can only secure the sole possession of little Kitty by getting the help of a judge——” “Get it at once.” Mrs. Linley interposed. ‘* And you can only prevail on the judge to listen to you,” Mr, Sarrazin proceeded, ‘‘in one way. Summon your courage, madam. Apply for a divorce.” There was a sudden silence. Mrs. Linley rose trembling, as if she saw, not good Mr. Sarrazin, but the devil himself, tempting her. ‘* Do you hear that?” she said to her mother, Mrs. Presty only bowed. ECOMMICOO® S (E() im