The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

144 THE EVIL GENIUS. Catherine advanced afew steps; it wastime to stop her mother, if the thing could bedone. She felt just embarrassment enough to heighten her color, and to show her beauty to the greatest ad- vantage. It literally staggered the captain the moment he looked at her. His customary composure as a well-bred man deserted him; he bowed confusedly; he had not a word to say. Mrs. Presty seized her opportunity and introduced them to each other. ‘*My daughter Mrs. Ormond—Captain Bennydeck.” Compassionating him, under the impression that he was a shy man, Catherine tried to set him at his ease. ‘‘I am indeed glad to have an opportunity of thanking you,” she said, inviting him by a gesture to be seated. ‘‘ In this delightful air I have recov- ered my health, and I owe it to your kindness.” The captain regained his self-possession. Expressions of grate itude had been addressed to him which, in his modest estimate of nimself, he could not feel that he had deserved. ‘* You little know,” he replied, ‘‘ under what interested mo- tives I have acted. When I established myself in this hotel. I was fairly driven out of my yacht by a guest who went sailing with me.* e Mrs. Presty became deeply interested. ‘‘ Dear me, what did e do?” Captain Bennydeck answered gravely, ‘‘ He snored.” Catherine was amused, Mrs. Presty burst out laughing; the captain’s dry humor asserted itself as quaintly asever. ‘‘ Thisis no laughing matter,” he resumed, looking at Catherine. ‘** My ves- selisasmall one. For twonights the awful music of my friend’s nose kept me sleepless. When I woke him, and said, ‘ Don’t snore,’ he apologized in the sweetest manner, and began again. On the third day I anchored in the bay here, determined to get a night’s rest on shore. A dispute about the price of these rooms offered them to me. I sent a note of apology on board—and slept peacefully. The next morning my sailing-master informed me that there had been what he called ‘a little sweil in the night.” He reported the sounds made by my friend on this oc- casion to have been theawful sounds of sea-sickness. ‘ The gen- tleman left the yacht, sir, the first thing this morning,’ he said; ‘and he’s gone home by railway.’ On the day when you hap- pened to arrive, my cabin was my own again: and I can hon- estly thank you for relieving me of my rooms. Do you makea long stay here, Mrs. Ormond ?” Catherine answered that they were going to London by the next train. Seeing Randal’s card still unnoticed on the table, she handed it to the captain. ‘‘Ts Mr. Linley an old friend of yours !” he asked, as he took the card. Mrs. Presty hastened to answer in the affirmative for her daughter. It was plain that Randal had discretly abstained from mentioning his true connection with them. Would he preserve the same silence if the captain spoke of his visit to Mrs, Ormond, when he and his friend met next? Mrs. Presty’s mind .nizht have been at ease on that subject if she had known how to ap- preciate Randal’s character and Randal’s mctives. The same CONMNIELOOOKS (©) m