The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

140 THE EVIL GENIUS. This sweetest of men sent us word that we were welcome to take his rooms, and that he would sleep on board hisyacht. Conduct worthy of Sir Charles Grandison himself. When I went down- stairs to thank him, he was gone—and here we have been for nearly three weeks; sometimes seeing the captain’s yacht, but, to our great surprise, never seeing the captain himself.” ‘‘There’s nothing to be surprised at, Mrs. Presty. Captain Bennydeck likes doing kind things, and hates being thanked for it. I expected him to meet me here to-day.” Catherine went tothe window. ‘‘ He is coming to meet you,” she said. ‘‘ There is his yacht in the bay.” ‘“ And in a dead calm,” Randel added, joining her, ‘* The wessel will not get here before I am obliged to go away again.” Catherine looked at him timidly. ‘‘DoI drive you away ?” she asked, in tones that faltered a little. Randal wondered what she could possibly be thinking of, and acknowledged it in so many words. ‘‘She is thinking of the divorce,” Mrs. Presty explained. ‘‘You have heard of it, of course; and perhaps you take your brother’s part.” ‘‘T do nothing of the sort, ma’am. My brother has been in the wrong from first to last.” He turned to Catherine. ‘I will stay with you as long asI can, with the greatest pleasure,” he gaid, earnestly and kindly. ‘‘ The truth is, I am on my way to visit some friends; and if Captain Bennydeck had got here in time to see me, I must have gone away to the junction to catch the next train westward, just as I am going now. I had only two words to say to my friend about a person in whom he is interested, and I can say them in this way.” He wrote in pencil on one of his visiting-cards, and laid it on the table. ‘‘I shail be back in London in a week,” he resumed, ‘‘ and you will tell me at what address I can find you. In the meanwhile, I miss Kitty. Where is she?” Kitty was sent for. She entered the room looking unusually quiet and subdued; but discovering Randal, became herself again in a moment, and jumped on his knee. ‘‘Oh, Uncle Randa!, ’m so glad to see you!” She checked herself, and looked at her mother. ‘‘ May I call him Uncle Randal?’ she asked. ‘* Or has he changed his name, too?’ Mrs. Presty shook a warning forefinger at her granddaughter, and reminded Kitty that she had been told not to talk about names. Randal saw the child’s look of bewilderment, and felt for her. ‘‘She may talk as she pleases to me,” he said, ‘‘ but not to strangers. She understands that, I’m sure.” Kitty laid her cheek fondly against her uncle’s cheek. ‘‘ Every- thing is changed,” she whispered. ‘‘ We travel about; papa has left us, and Syd has left us, and we have gotanew name. We are Ormond now. I wish I was grown up, and understood it.” Randal tried to reconcile her to her own happy ignorance. “You have got your dear, good mother,” he said, ‘‘and you have got me, and you have got your toys——” ‘‘ And some nice boys and girls to play with,” cried Kitty, eagerly following the new suggestion. ‘‘ They are all coming EOMMICOOOKS (ECO) im