The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 139 and labeled; I hate being hurried. What’s that you’re reading ?” she asked, discovering a book on her daughter's lap, and a hasty action on her daughter’s part which looked like trying to hide it. Mrs. Ormond made the most common and—where the object is to baffle curiosity—the most useless of prevaricating replies. When her mother asked her what she was reading, she answered, ‘* Nothing.” ‘‘ Nothing!” Mrs. Presty repeated, with an ironical assumption of interest. ‘‘The book of all others, Catherine, that I most want to see.” She snatched up the book, opened it at the first page, and discovered an inscription in faded ink which roused her indignation. ‘‘ To dear Catherine, from Herbert, on the an- miversary of our marriage.” What unintended mockery in those words, read by the later light of the divorce! ‘* Well, this 7s mean,” said Mrs. Presty. ‘*‘ Keeping that wretch’s present after the public exposure which he has forced on you. Oh, Cathe- rine!” Catherine was not quite so patient with her mother as usual. ‘<Keeping my best remembrance of the happy time of my life,” she answered. ‘‘Misplaced sentiment,” Mrs. Presty declared. ‘‘ But I must make allowances for you; your mind is giving way, my dear, tinder the influence of this miserable place.” Catherine asserted her own opinion against her mother’s opinion for the second time. ‘*I have recovered my health at Sandyseal,” she said. ‘I like the place, and I am sorry to Jeave it.” ‘‘Give me the shop-windows, the streets, the life, the racket, and the smoke of London,” cried Mrs. Presty. ‘‘ Thank Heaven, these rooms are let over our heads, and out we must go, whether we like it or not.” This expression of gratitude was followed by a knock at the door, and by a voice outside asking leave to come in, which was, beyond all doubt, the voice of Randal Linley. With Catherine’s book still in her possession, Mrs. Presty opened the table-drawer, threw it in, and closed the drawer with a bang. Discovering the two ladies, Randal stopped in the doorway, and stared at them in astonishment. * Didn’t you expect to see us?” Mrs. Presty inquired. ‘‘T heard you were here from our friend Sarrazin,” Randa’ said; ‘‘ but I expected to see Captain Bennydeck. Have 1 mi-- taken thenumber? Surely these are his rooms ?”’ Catherine attempted to explain. ‘‘ They were Captain Benny- deck’s rooms,” she began; ‘* but he was so kind, although we are perfect strangers to him ie Mrs. Presty interposed. ‘‘ My dear Catherine, you have not had my advantages; you have not been taught to make a com- plicated statement in few words. Permit me to seize the points (in the late Mx. Presty’s style), and to put them in the strongest light. This place, Randal, is always full; and we didn’t write long enough beforehand to secure rooms. Captain Bennydeck happened to be down-stairs when he heard that we were obliged to go away, and that one of us was a lady in delicate health, COMMICLOOO S (©) im