The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 128 (without waiting to see if the event justified the exercise of mercy) that she owns to having given her hand to Miss Wester: field at parting, not half an hour after that voung person’s shameless forgetfulness of the claims of modesty, duty, anc gratitude had been first communicated to her. ‘To say that this was the act of an inconsiderate woman, culpably indiscreet, and, I had almost added, culpably indelicate, is only to say what she has deserved. ‘*On the next occasion to which I feel bound to advert, hex conduct was even more deserving of censure. She herself ap- pears to have placed the temptation under which he fell in her husband’s way, and so (in some degree at least) to have pro- voked the catastrophe which has brought her before this court. I allude, it is needless to say, to her having invited the govern- ess—then out of harm’s way; then employed elsewhere—to re- turn to her house, and to risk (what actually occurred) a meet- ing with Mr. Herbert Linley when no third person happened to be present. I know that the maternal motive which animated Mrs. Linley is considered by many persons to excuse and even to justify that most regrettable act; and I have myself allowed (I fear, weakly allowed) more than due weight to this consid- eration in pronouncing for the divorce. Let me express the earnest hope that Mrs. Linley will take warning by what hag happened; and if she finds herself hereafter placed in other cir- cumstances of difficulty, let me advise her to exercise more con- trol over impulses which one might expect, perhaps, to find in a young girl, but which are neither natural nor excusable in a woman of her age.” His lordship then decreed the divorce in the customary form, giving the custody of the child to the mother. * % * % * *% As fast as ahired carriage could take him, Mr. Sarrazin drove from the court to Mrs. Linley’s lodgings, to tell her that the one great object of securing her right to her child had been achieved. At the door he was met by Mrs. Presty. She was accompanied by astranger, whose medical services had been required. In- terested professionally in hearing the result of the trial, this gen- tleman volunteered to communicate the good news to his patient. He had been waiting to administer a composing draught, until the suspense from which Mrs. Linley was suffer- ing might be relieved, and a reasonable hope be entertained that the medicine would produce the right effect. With that ex- planation he left the room. While the doctor was speaking, Mrs. Presty was drawing her own conclusions from a close scrutiny of Mr. Sarrazin’s face. ‘‘T am going to make a disagreeable remark,” she announced. ‘“‘You look ten years older, sir, than you did when you left us this morning to go to the court. Do me a favor—come to the sideboard.” The lawyer having obeyed, she poured out a glass of wine. ‘‘There is the remedy,” she resumed, ‘‘ when some- thing has happened to worry you.” ‘“ Worry isn’t the right word,” Mr. Sarrazin declared, ‘‘Im CORNICLOO S (CO) im