The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 167 selected politics as his next topic. Randal was unapproachably indifferent to the state of parties and the urgent necessity for re- form. Still bent, as it seemed, on preventing his visitor from taking a leading part in the conversation, Mr. Sarrazin tried the exeroise of hospitality next. He opened his cigar-case, and en- tered eagerly into the merits of his cigars; he proposed a cool drink, and described the right method of making it as distin- guished from the wrong. Randal was not thirsty, and was not inclined to smoke. Would the pertinacious lawyer give way at last? In appearance, at least, he submitted to defeat. ‘‘ You want something of me, my friend,” he said, with a patient smile. ‘* What is it ?” ‘‘T want to know why Miss Westerfield called on you.” Randal flattered himself that he had made a prevaricating reply simply impossible. Nothing of the sort! Mr. Sarrazin slipped through his fingers once more. The unwritten Jaws of gallantry afforded him a refuge now. ‘The most inviolable respect,” he solemnly declared, ‘‘is due to a lady’s confidence—and, what is more, to a young lady’s con- fidence—and, what is more yet, to a pretty young lady’s con- fidence. The sex, my dear fellow! Must I recall our attention to what is due to the sex?” This little outbreak of the foreign side of his friend’s character was no novelty to Randal. He remained as indifferent to the inviolate claims of the sex as if he had been an old man of ninety. ‘* Did Miss Westerfield say anything about me?” was his next question. Slippery Mr. Sarrazin slid into another refuge; he entered a protest. ‘“Here is a change of persons and places!” he exclaimed. ‘‘¢Am Ia witness in acourt of justice—and are you the lawyer who examinesme? My memory is defective, my learned friend. Non mi ricordo. I know nothing about it.” Randal changed his tone. ‘‘ We have amused ourselves long enough,” he said. ‘‘I have serious reasons, Sarrazin, for wish- ing to know what passed between Miss Westerfield and you— and I trust my old friend to relieve my anxiety.” The lawyer was accustomed to say of himself that he never did things by halves. His answer to Randal offered a proof of his accurate estimate of his own character. ‘* Your old friend will deserve your confidence in him,” he an- swered. ‘* You want to know why Miss Westerfield called here. Wer object in view was to twist me round her finger—and I beg to inform you that she has completely succeeded. My dear Randal, this pretty creature’s cunning is remarkable, even for a woman. Iam an old lawyer, skilled in the ways of the world— and a young girl has completely overreached me. She asked— oh, heavens, how innocently—if Mrs. Ormond was likely to make a long stay at her present place of residence.” Randal interrupted him. ‘‘ You don’t mean to tell me you have given her Catherine’s address ?” | COMNICLOO (E() mn