The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 131 In the solitude of her room she thought of the future. The dreary foreboding of what it might be filled her with a super- stitious dread from which she recoiled. One of the windows was open already; she threw up the other toget moreair. In the cooier atmosphere her memory recovered itself; she recol- lected the newspaper that Herbert had taken from her. In- stantly she rang for the maid. ‘* Ask the first waiter you see down-stairs for to-day’s newspaper; any one will do, so long ag T don’t wait for it.” The report of the divorce—she was ina frenzy of impatience now to read what he had read—the report of the divorce. | When her wish had been gratified, when she had read it from beginning to end, one vivid impression only was left on her mind. She could think of nothing but what the judge had saic| in speaking of Mrs. Linley. A cruel reproof, and worse than cruel, a public reproof, ad- ministered to the generous friend, the true wife, the devoted mother—and for what? For having been too ready to forgive the wretch who had taken her husband fom her, and had repaid @ hundred acts of kindness by unpardonable ingratitude. She fell on her knees; she tried wildly to pray for inspiration that should tell her what todo. ‘‘ Oh, God, how can I give that woman back the happiness of which I have robbed her!” The composing influence of prayer on a troubled mind was something that she had heard of. It was something thai she ex- perienced now. An overpowering impatience to make thea speediest and completest atonement possessed her. Must she wait till Herbert Linley no longer concealed that he was weary of her, and cast her off? No! It should be her own act that parted them, and that did it at once. She threw open the door and hurried half way down the stairs before she remembered the one terrible obstacle in her way—the divorce. Slowly and sadly she submitted, and went back to her room. There was no disguising it; the two who had once been hus- band and wife were parted irrevocably—by the wife’s own act. Let him repent ever so sincerely, let him be ever so ready to re- turn, would the woman whose faith Herbert Linley had be- trayed take him hack? The divorce, the merciless divorce answered—No! She paused, thinking of the marriage that was now a marriage no more. The toilet-table was close to her; she looked absently at her haggard face in the glass. What a lost wretch she was! The generous impulses which other women were free to feel were forbidden luxuries to her. She was almost ashamed of her wickedness; she was eager to sacrifice herself for the good of the once-dear friend whom she had wronged. Useless longings! Too late! too late! She regretted it bitterly. Why? Comparing Mrs. Linley’s prospects with hers, was there any- thing to justify regret for the divorced wife? She had her sweet little child te make her happy; she had a fortune of her own to lift her above sordid cares; she was still handsome, still a woman to be admired. While she held her place in the world as high GomiGcdooks (CO) im