The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 193 from his little daughter as well as from herself ? (No; Mrs. Presty failed to see it; if anybody had suffered by the divorce, the vic- tim was her injured daughter.) Still patient, Herbert did not deny the injury; he only sub- mitted once more that he had suffered his punishment. Whether his life with Sydney Westerfield had or had not been a happy one, he must decline to say; he would only declare that it had come toanend. She had left him. Yes! she had left him for- ever. He had no wish to persuade her to return to their guilty life; they were both penitent, they were both ashamed of it. But she had gone away without the provision which he was bound in honor to offer to her; she was friendless, she might be in a condition of poverty too dreadful to be contemplated—and that was indeed a bitter reflection to the man who had misled her. (Mrs. Presty decided on stopping him there. She had heard more than enough of Sydney already.) ‘‘T see nothing to be gained,” she said, ‘* by dwelling on the past; and [ should be glad to know why you have 30me to this place to-night.” ‘‘T have come for two reasons. One of them is to see Kitty.” ‘* Quite out of the question.” ‘* Don’t tell me that, Mrs. Presty! I’m one of the wretchedest men living, and I ask for the consolation of seeing my child. Kitty hasn’t forgotten me yet, I know. Her mother can’t be so cruel as to refuse. She shall fix her own time, and send me away when she likes; Ill submit to anything. Will you ask Catherine to let me see Kitty ?” It was impossible to consent to this—and equally impossible to mention the reason for refusing. Unwillingly, to do her justice, Mrs. Presty passed over without reply the just request, the touching request, that had been addressed to her. ‘*You have two reasons for coming here,” she reminded him. “What is your other reason?” He declined to be ignored in that way. ‘‘ Will you ask Cath- erine to let me see Kitty ?” he repeated. ‘*T can’t do it.” He got up from his chair. His face presented the same ex- pression which Mrs. Presty had seen on it when he first entered the room. ‘When I came in here,” he said, ‘‘I told you I wished to speak to Catherine. It doesn’t matter. I have got the informa- tion I wanted—and got it from you.” ‘*T don’t understand you.” ‘‘The newspapers were not mistaken, Mrs. Presty, when they called Catherine a widow. I know now why my brother, who never deceived me before, has deceived me about this. I under- stand the part that your daughter has been playing, and I am as certain as if I had heard it, of the devilish lie that one of you— perhaps both of you—must have told to my poor child. No, no; I had better not see Catherine. Many a man has killed his wife, and has not had such good reason for doing it a® I have, You are quite right to keep me away from her.” (CONNIELOOOLKKS (CO) m