The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

194 THE EVIL GENIUS. He stopped: he too looked suddenly toward the door. ‘‘I hear her,” he cried. ‘‘She’s coming in!” The footsteps outside were audible once more. This time they were approaching; they were close to the door. Herbert drew back from it. Looking round to see that he was out of the way, Mrs. Presty rushed forward, tore open the door in terror of what might happen, and admitted Captain Bennydeck. CHAPTER XLIX. KEEP THE SECRET. ) THE captain’s attention was first attracted by the visitor whom he found in the room. He bowed tothe stranger; but the first impression produced on him did not appear to have been of the favorable kind when he turned next to Mrs. Presty. Observing that she was agitated, he made the customary apol- ogies, expressing his regret if he had been so unfortunate as to commit an intrusion. Trusting in the good sense and the good breeding which distinguished him on other occasions, Mrs. Presty anticipated that he would see the propriety of leaving her alone again with the person whom he had found in her company. To her dismay he remained in the room; and, worse still, he no- ticed her daughter’s absence, and asked if there was any serious cause for it. For the moment Mrs. Presty was unable to reply. Her pres- ence of mind—or, to put it more correctly, her ready audacity— deserted her, when she saw Catherine’s husband that had been, and Catherine’s husband that was to be, meeting as strangers, and but too likely to discover each other. In all her experience she had never been placed in such a osition of embarrassment as the position in which she found harsobt now. The sense of honor which had prompted Cath- erine’s resolution to make Bennydeck acquainted with the catastrophe of her married life might plead her excuse in the estimation of a man devotedly attached to her. But if the captain was first informed by a person who was a perfect stran- ger to him that he had been deceived, what hope could be en- tertained of his still holding himself bound by his marriage engagement? It was even possible that distrust had been al- ready excited in his mind. He must certainly have heard a man’s voice, raised in anger, when he approached the door—and he was now observing that man with an air of curiosity which was already assuming the appearance of distrust. That Her- bert, on his side, resented the captain’s critical examination of him was plainly visible in his face. After a glance at Benny- deck, he asked Mrs. Presty ‘‘ who that gentleman was.” ‘*T may be mistaken,” he added; ‘‘ but I thought your friend looked at me just now as if he knew me.” ‘‘] have met you, sir, before this.”” The captain made the reply with a courteous composure of tone and manner which ap- parently reminded Herbert of the claims of politeness. ‘*May I ask where I had the honor of seeing you?” he in- quired, EONNICOO KS ,e@