The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

THF EVIL GENIUS. 61 take you to my room,” she proposed. ‘‘ We will have the sofa moved into the balcony; and you will soon go to sleep in the delicious warm air. You may put away your books, Kitty; this is a holiday. Come with me, and be petted and spoilt by the ladies in the morning-room.” Neither the governess nor the pupil were worthy of the svm- pathy so frankly offered to them. Still strangely confused, Sydney made commonplace apologies, and asked leave to go out and walk in the park. Hearing this, Kitty declared that where her governess went she would go too. Mrs. Linley smoothed her daughter’s pretty auburn hair, and said playfully: ‘*T think I ought to be jealous.” To her surprise, Sydney looked up as if the words had been addressed to herself. ‘‘ You must- n’t be fonder, my dear, of your governess,” Mrs. Linley went on, ‘than you are of your mother.” She kissed the child, and, rising to go, discovered that Sydney had moved to another part of the room. She was standing at the piano, with a page of music in ber hand. The page was up- ide down—and she had placed herself in a position which con- cealed her face. Slow as Mrs. Linley was to doubt any person (more especiaily a person who interested her) she left the room with a vague fear of something wrong, and with a conviction that she would do well to consult her husband. Hearing the door close, Sydney looked round. She and Kitty were alone again; and Kitty was putting away her books, with- out showing any pleasure at the prospect of a holiday. Sydney took the child fondly in her arms. ‘*‘ Would you be very sorry,” she asked, ‘‘ if I was obliged to go away, some day, and leave you?” Kitty turned pale with terror at the dreadful prospect which those words presented. ‘‘ There! there! I am only joking,” Sydney said, shocked at the effect which her at- tempt to suggest the impending separation had produced. ‘* You shall come with me, darling; we will walk in the park together.” Kitty’s face brightened directly. She proposed extending their walk to the paddock, and feeding the cows. Sydney readily consented. Any amusement was welcome to her which diverted the child’s attention from herself. They had been nearly an hour in the park, and were returning to the house through a clump of trees, when Sydney’s com- panion, running on before her, cried, *‘ Here’s papa!” Her first impulse was to draw back behind a tree, in the hope of escaping notice. Linley sent Kitty away to gather a nosegay of daisies, and joined Sydney under the trees. I have been looking for you everywhere,” he said. ‘‘ My wife——” Sydney interrupted him. ‘‘ Discovered already!” she ex- claimed. ‘‘ There is nothing that need alarm you,” he replied. ‘‘ Cath- erine is too good and too true herself to suspect others easily. She sees a change in you that she doesn’t understand—she asks if I have noticed it—and that is all. But her mother has the COMMICLO© S (EC) mn