The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

198 THE EVIL GENTUs. ‘* you once said that I was the most truthful woman you had ever known. Have 1 done anything to disturb that part of your ~ old faith in me ?” ‘* Nothing.” She went on: ‘‘ Before you entered this house, I had deter- mined to tell Captain Bennydeck what you have not told him yet. When I say that, do you believe me ?” If he had been able to look away from her, he might have fore- seen what was coming, and he would have remembered that his triumph over the captian was still incomplete. But his eyes were riveted on her face; his tenderest memories of her were pleading with him. He answered as a docile child might have answered. ‘‘T do believe you.” She took a letter from her bosom; and, showing it, begged him to remark that it was not closed. ‘‘T was in my bedroom, writing,” she said, ‘‘ when my mother came to me and told me that you and Captain Bennydeck had met in my sitting-room. She dreaded a quarrel and an ex- posure, and she urged me to go down-stairs and insist on send- ing you away—or to permit her to do so, if I could not prevail on myself to follow her advice. I refused to allow the shame- ful dismissal of a man who had once had his claim on my re- ppect. The only alternative that I could see was to speak with you here, in private, as we are speaking now. My mother un- dertook to manage this for me; she saw the servant, and gave him the message which you received. Where is Captain Ben- nydeck now ?” ‘‘ He is waiting in the sitting-room.” “ Waiting for you ?” * Yes.” She considered a little before she said her next words. ‘ft have brought with me what I was writing in my own room,” she resumed, ‘‘ wishing to show it to you. Will you read it?” She offered the letter to him. He hesitated. ‘‘Is itaddressed to me?” he asked. ‘‘ It is addressed to Captain Bennydeck,” she answered. The jealousy that still rankled in his mind—jealousy that he had no more lawful or reasonable claim to feel than if he had been a stranger—confirmed him in his resolution not to read the letter. Speaking with marked respect, he begged that she would accept his excuses. She refused to excuse him. ‘‘ Before you decide,” she said, ‘‘ you ought at least to know why I have written to Captain Bennydeck, instead of speaking to him as [ had proposed. My heart failed me when I thought of the distress that he would feel, and, perhaps, of the contempt for myself which, good and gentle as he is, he might not be able to disguise. My letter tells him the truth, without concealment. I am obliged to speak of the manner in which you have treated me, and of the circumstances which forced me into acts of de- ception that I now bitterly regret. I have tried not to misrepre- EONNICLOO)KS eo