The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 169 ‘‘T don’t feel as hopeful as you do, if these two ladies meet.” ‘* Ah, my friend, you are not asanguine man by nature. If Mrs. Ormond treats our poor Sydney just as a commonplace, ill- tempered woman would treat her, I shall be surprised indeed. Say, if you like, that she will be insulted—of this I am sure, she will not return it; there is no expiation that is too bitter to be endured by that resolute little creature. Her fine nature has been tempered by adversity. A hard life has been Sydney’s, depend upon it, in the years before you and I met with her. Good heavens! What would my wifesay if she heard me? The women are nice, but they have their drawbacks. Let us wait till to-morrow, my dear boy: and let us believe in Sydney with- out allowing our wives—I beg your pardon, I mean my wife— to suspect in what forbidden direction our sympathies are lead- ing us. Oh. for shame!” Who could persist in feeling depressed in the company of such amanas this? Randal went home with the influence of Mr. Sarrazin’s sanguine nature in undisturbed possession of him, until his old servant’s gloomy face confronted him at the door. ‘* Anything gone wrong, Malcolm ?” ‘“T’m sorry to say, sir, Mr. Herbert has left us.” “Left us! Why ?’ ‘<T don't know, sir.”’ ‘Where has he gone ?” ‘‘ He didn’t tell me.” ‘‘Ts there no letter? No message ?” ‘‘ There’s a message, sir. Mr. Herbert came back——” ‘“Stop! Where had he been when he came back ?” ‘‘He said he felt a little lonely after you went out, and he thought it might cheer him up if he went to the club. 1 was to tell you where he had gone if you asked what had become of him. Hesaid it kindly and pleasantly—quite like himself, sir. But when he came back—if you'll excuse my saying so—I never saw amanina worse temper. ‘Tell my brother I am obliged to him for his hospitality, and I won’t take advantage of it any longer.’ That was Mr. Herbert’s message. I tried to say a word. He banged the door, and away he went.” Even Randal’s patient and gentle nature rose in revolt against his brother’s treatment of him. He entered his sitting-room in silence. Malcolm followed, and pointed to a letter on the table. ‘‘T think you must have thrown it away by mistake, sir, the old man explained; ‘‘I found it in the waste paper basket. ‘‘ He bowed with the unfailing respect of the old school, and with- drew. Randal’s first resolve was to dismiss his brother from further consideration. ‘‘ Kindness is thrown away on Herbert,” he thought; ‘I shall treat him in the future as he has treated me.” But his brother was still in hismind. He opened Mrs. Presty’s letter—on the chance that it might turn the current of his thoughts in a new direction. In spite of Mrs. Presty, in spite of himself, his heart softened toward the man who had behaved so badly to him. Instead of reading the letter, he was now trying to discover a connection CORNICLO© S (EC) im