The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 192 She passed through the open doorway--stopped—and came back again. ‘‘I didn’t mean to offend you, mamma—but you do say such irritating things. Good-night.” Not a word of reply acknowledged that kindly-meant apology. Mrs. Presty—vivacious Mrs. Presty, of the indomitable spirit and the ready tongue—was petrified. She, the guardian angel of the family, whose experience, devotion, and sound sense had steered Catherine through difficulties and dangers which must have otherwise ended in utter domestic shipwreck—she, the model mother, had been stigmatized as the evil genius of her daughter’s life by no less a person than that daughter herself! What was to be said? What was to be done? What terrible and unexampled course of action should be taken after such an insult as this? Mrs. Presty stood helpless in the middle of the room, and asked herself these questions. and waited and won- dered and found no answer. An interval passed. There wasa knock atthe door. <A waiter appeared. Hesaid: ‘‘ A gentleman to see Mrs. Ormond.” Lhe gentleman entered the room, and revealed himself. Herbert Linley! CHAPTER XLVIII. BE CAREFUL! THE divorced husband looked at his mother-in-law without making the slightest sacrifice to the claims of his politeness. He neither offered his hand nor made his bow. His frowning eyebrows, his flushed face, betrayed the anger that was con- suming him. ‘*} want to see Catherine,” he said. This deliberate rudeness proved to be the very stimulant that was wanted to restore Mrs. Presty to herself. The smile that al- ways meant mischief made its threatening appearance on the old lady’s face. ‘‘ What sort of company have you been keeping since I last saw you?” she began. ‘‘ What have you got to do with the company I keep?” ‘““ Nothing whatever, lam happy tosay. I was merely won- dering whether you have been traveling lately in the south part of Africa, and have lived exclusively in the society of Hotten- tots. The only other explanation of your behavior is that I have been so unfortunate as to offend you. But it seems improbable —I am not your wife.” ‘* Thank God for that!” ‘Thank God, as you say. But I should really be glad (asa mere matter of curiosity) to know what your extraordinary con- duct means. You present yourself in this room uninvited, you find a lady here, and you behave as if you had come into a shop and wanted to ask the price of something. Let me give youa lesson in good manners. Observe; I receive you with a bow, and I say: ‘How do you do, Mr. Linley?) Do you understand me ?”’ ‘*T don’t want to understand you—I want to see Catherine!” CONnNIELOOOMKS (CO) im