The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVilL GENIUS. 119 and we had to wait for the next train. And what do you think happened? The two scoundrels followed us instead of following Mrs. Linley! They had inquired. no doubt, at the livery-stables where we hired the carriage—had recognized the description of us—and had taken the long journey to London for nothing. Mrs. Presty and I shook hands at the terminus, the best friends that ever traveled together, with the best of motives. After that, I think I deserve another glass of wine.” ‘*Go on with your story, and you shall have another bottle!” cried Randal. ‘* What did Catherine and the child do after they left you ©” ‘‘They did the safest thing—they left England. Mrs. Linley distinguished herself on this occasion. It was her excellent idea to avoid popular ports of departure, like Folkestone and Dover, which were sure to be watched and to get away (if the thing could be done) from some place on the east coast. We consulted our guide and found that a line of steamers sailed from Hull to Bremen once a week. A tedious journey from our part of Cumberland, with some troublesome changing of trains, but they got there in time to embark. My first news of them reached me in a telegram from Bremen. There they waited for further instructions. I sent the instructions by a thoroughly capable and trustworthy man—an Italian courier, known to me by an experience of twenty years. Shall I confess it? I thought J had done rather a clever thing in providing Mrs. Linley with a friend in need while I was away from her.” ‘*T think so too,” said Randal. ‘Wrong, completely wrong. I had made a mistake—I had been too clever, and I got my reward accordingly. You know how I advised Mrs. Linley ?” ‘““Yes. You persuaded her, with the greatest difficulty, to apply for a divorce.” ‘*Very well. I had made all the necessary arrangements for the trial, when I received a letter from Germany. My charm- ing client had changed her mind, and declined to apply for the divorce. There was my reward for having been too clever!” ‘*T don’t understand you.” ‘* My dear fellow, you are dull to-night. I had been so suc- cessful in protecting Mrs. Linley and the child, and my excellent courier had found such a charming place of retreat for them in one of the suburbs of Hanover, that she saw no reason now for taking the shocking course that 1 had recommended to her—so repugnant to all her most cherished convictions; so sinful and so shameful in its doing of evil that good mightcome. Experience had convinced her that (thanks to me) there was no fear of Kitty being discovered and taken from her. She therefore begged me to write to my agent in Edinburgh, and tell him that her appl- cation to the court was withdrawn. Ah, you understand my position at last. The headstrong woman was running a risk which renewed all my anxieties. By every day’s post I expected to hear that she had paid the penalty of her folly, and that your brother had succeeded in getting possession of the child. Wait COMIC OO® <=) (E) im