The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 159 Herbert! flerce looks and clinched fists don’t frighten me. Miss Westerfield is quite right in separating herself from you. And you are quite wrong in wishing to go back to her. There are my reasons. Try to understand them. And, once again, sit own.” He spoke sternly—with his heart aching for his brother all the time. Hewasright. The one way is the positive way, when a man who suffers trouble is degraded by it. The poor wretch sank under Randal’s firm voice and steady eve. “Don’t be hard on me,” he said; **I think a man in my situa- tion is to be pitied—especially by his brother. Pm not like you; I’m not accustomed to live alone. I’ve been used to having a kind woman to talk to me and takecareofme. You don’t know what it is to be used to seeing a pretty creature, always nicely dressed, always about the room—thinking so much of you, and B0 little of herself—and then to be left alone as I am left, out in the dark. I haven’t got my wife; she has thrown me over, and taken my child away from me. And now Sydney’s taken away from me next. I’m alone. Do you hear that? Alone! Take the poker there out of the fireplace. Give me back Sydney or knock out my brains. I haven’t courage enough to do it for myself. Oh, why did I engage that governess! I wasso happy, Randal. with Catherine and little Kittv.” He laid his head wearily on the back of his chair. Randal of: fered him more wine; he refused it. ‘“T’m afraid,” he said. ‘*‘ Wine maddens me if I take too much of it. You have heard of men forgetting their sorrows in drink. I tried it yesterday; it set my brains on fire; I’m feeling that glass I took just now. No! I’m not faint. It eases my head when I rest like this. Shake hands, Randal: we have never had any unfriendly words; we mustn’t begin now. There’s something perverse about me. I didn’t know how fond I was of Sydney till I lost her; I didn’t know how fond I was of my wife till I left her.” He paused, and put his hard to his fevered head. Was his mind wandering into some other train of thought? He astonished his brother by a new entreaty—the Jast imaginable entreaty that Randal expected to hear. ‘* Dear old fellow, I want you to do me a favor. Tell me where my wife is living now ?” ‘* Surely,” Randal answered, ‘‘ you know that she is no longer your wife ?” ‘* Never mind that! I have something to say to her.” ‘You can’t do it, Herbert.” ‘*Can you doit? Will you give her a message?” ‘‘Let me hear what it is first.” He lifted his head, and laid his hand earnestly on his brother’s arm. When he said his next words, he was almost like his old self again. ‘Say that I’m lonely, say that Iam dying for want of a little comfort—ask her to let me see Kitty.” His tone touched Randal to the quick. ‘‘I feel for you, Her COMMICOO® S (E() im