The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

192 TH: EVIL GENIUS. ‘¢' Who is Catherine ?”" ‘*You know as well as I do—your daughter.” ‘‘My daughter, sir, is a stranger to you. We will speak of her, if you please, by the name—the illustrious name—which she inherited at her birth. You wish to see Mrs. Ormond ?” ‘*Call her what you like. I have a word to say to her, and I mean to say it.” ‘No, Mr. Linley, you won't say it.” ‘‘ We'll see about that! Where is she?’ ‘*My daughter is not well.” ‘‘ Well or ill, I sha’n’t keep her long.” ‘‘My daughter has retired to her room.” ‘¢ Where is her room ?” : art Presty moved to the fireplace, and laid her hand cn the ell. ‘‘ Are you aware that this house is an hotel,” she asked. ‘‘Tt doesn’t matter to me what it is.” ‘‘Oh, yes, it does. An hotel keeps waiters. An hotel, when it one large as this, has a policeman in attendance. Must | ring?” The choice between giving way and being disgracefully dis- missed from the hotel was placed plainly before him. Her- bert’s life had been the life of a gentleman; he knew that he had forgotten himself; it was impossible that he could hesi- tate. ‘‘T won’t trouble you to ring,” he said; ** and I will beg your pardon for having allowed my temper to get the better of me. At the same time it’s to be remembered, I think, in my favor, that I have had some provocation.” ‘“‘T don’t agree with you.” Mrs. Presty answered. She was deaf to any appeal for mercy from Herbert Linley. ‘‘ As to provocation,” she added, returning to her chair without ask- ing him to be seated, *‘ when you apply that word to your- self, you insult my daughter and me. You provoked? Oh, heavens!” ‘‘ You wouldn’t say that,” he urged, speaking with marked re- straint of tone and manner, ‘‘ if you knew what I have had to endure——” Mrs. Presty suddenly looked toward the door. ‘Wait a minute,” she said; ‘‘I think J hear somebody com- ing in.” In the silence that followed footsteps were audible outside— not approaching the door, however, but retiring fromit. Mrs. Presty had apparently been mistaken. ‘‘ Yes,” she said, re- sienedly, permitting the person who had intruded on her to pro- ceed. He really had something to say for himself, and he said it with sufficient moderation. That he had been guilty of serious offenses he made no attempt to deny; but he pleaded that he had not escaped without justly suffering for what he had done. He had been entirely in the wrong when he threatened to take his child away from her mother by force of law; but had he not been punished when his wife obtained her divorce, and separated him EOMMICOOOKS (EO)