The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

120 THE EVIL GENIUS. a little before you laugh at me. But for the courier the thing would have really happened a week since.” Randal looked astonished. ‘‘ Months must have passed,” he objected. ‘‘Surely after that lapse of time, Mrs. Linley must have been safe from discovery.” ‘‘Take your own positive view of it! I only know that the thing happened. And why not? The luck had begun by being on our side—why shouldn’t the other side have had its turn next ?”’ ‘* Do you really believe in luck ?” ‘* Devoutly. A lawyer must believe in something. He knows the law too well to put any faith in that; and his clients present to him (if he is a man of any feeling) a hideous view of human nature. The poor devil believes in luck, rather than believe in nothing. I think it quite likely that accident helped the person employed by the husband to discover the wife and child. Any- how, Mrs. Linley and Kitty were seen in the streets of Hanover; seen. recognized, and followed. The courier happened to be with them—luck again! ‘‘For thirty years and more he had been traveling in every part of Europe; there was not a landlord of the smallest preten- sions anywhere who didn’t know him and like him. ‘I pre- tended not to see that any one was following us,’ he said (writ- ing from Hanover to relieve my anxiety), ‘and I took the ladies to an hoteJ. The hotel possessed two merits, from our point of view—it had a way out at the back, through the stables, and it was kept by a landlord who was an excellent good friend of mine. [ arranged with him what he was to say when inquiries were made, and [ kept my poor ladies prisoners in their lodging for three days. The end of it is that Mr. Linley’s policeman has gone away to watch the channel steam-service, while we return quietly by way of Bremen and Hull.’ There is the courier’s ac- count of it. I have only to add that poor Mrs. Linley has been fairly frightened into submission. She changes her mind again, and pledges herself once more to apply for the divorce. If we are only lucky enough to get our case heard without any very serious delay, I am not afraid of my client slipping through my fingers for the second time. When will the courts of session be open to us? You have lived in Scotland, Randal——” ‘* But I haven’t lived in the courts of law. I wish I could give you the information you want.” Mr. Sarrazin looked at his watch. ‘‘ For all I know to the con- trary,” he said, ‘* we may be wasting precious time while we are talking here. Will you excuse me if I go away to my club?’ ‘* Are you going in search of information ?” ‘““Yes. Wehave some inveterate old whist-players who are al: ways to be found in the card-room. One of them formerly prac- ticed, I believe, in the Scotch courts. It has just occurred tome that the chance is worth trying.” ‘“ Wil) you let me know if you succeed ?” Randal asked. The lawyer took his hand at parting. ‘‘ You seem to be al- most as anxious about it as I am,” he said. ‘To tell you the truth, I am a little alarmed when I think of ECOMNICLOOOKS (€©) im