The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 229: what you’re looking at

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218 THE EVIL GENIUS. many years as lawyer and client. She wanted advice on this occasion also, and wanted it in the strictest confidence. Was it consistent with my professional duty to show her letter to my i Mrs. Sarrazin says Yes. Mrs. Sarrazin’s husband says O. Let me add that the ladv was a person of unblemished repu- tation, and that she was placed in a false position through no fault of her own. In plain English, she was divorced. Ah, my iat (to speak the strong language of the people) do you smell a rat Yes, my client was Mrs. Ormond; and to her pretty cottage in the country I betook myself the nextday. There I found my excellent friend Randal Linley, present by special invitation. Stop a minute. Why dol write all this, instead of explaining myself by word of mouth. My dear, you are a member of an old and illustrious family; you honored me when you married me; and you have (as your father told me on our wedding- day) the high and haughty temper of your race. I foresee an explo- sion of this temper, and I would rather have my writing-paper blown up than be blown up myself. Is this a cowardly confes- sion on my part? All courage, Mrs. Sarrazin, is relative; the bravest man living has a cowardly side to his character, though it may not always be found out. Some years ago, at a public dinner, I sat next to an officer in the British army. At one time in his life he had led a forlorn hope. At another time he had picked up a wounded soldier, and had carried him to the care of the surgeons through a hailstorm of the enemy’s bullets. Hot courage and cool courage, this true hero possessed both. J saw the cowardly side of his character. He lost his color; perspira- tion broke out on his forehead; he trembled; he talked non- sense; he was frightened out of his wits. And all for what? Because he had to get on his legs and make a speech. Well, Mrs. Ormond and Randal Linley and I sat down to our consultation at the cottage. What did my fair client want? She contemplated marrying for the second time, and she ~ wanted my advice as a lawyer, and my encouragement as an old friend. I was quite ready; I only waited for the particulars. Mrs. Ormond became dreadfully embarrassed, and said, ‘‘I re- fer you to my brother-in-law.” I looked at Randal. ‘‘ Once her brother-in-law, no doubt,” I said; ‘‘ but after the divorce——” My friend stopped me there. ‘‘ After the divorce,” he remarked, ‘‘ I may be her brother-in-law again.” If this meant anything, it meant that she was actually going to marry Herbert Linley again. I told him plainly that I could not believe it. ‘‘ Why not?” Randal asked. ‘‘Saying ‘I do want you’ in one breath, and ‘I don’t want you’ in another, seems to be a little hard on divorce,” I ventured to suggest. ‘Don’t expect me to sympathize with divorce,” Randal said. Gomicdooks Go