The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

THE EVIL GENIUS. 69 collected in an embrasure of one of the windows; and the time had now arrived when Kitty could bear it no longer. In the procession of the presents, Mrs. Linley led the way. She had passed behind the screen which had thus far pro- tected the hidden treasures from discovery. and appeared again with a vision of beauty in the shape of a doll. ‘he dress of this wonaerful creature exhibited the latest andacities of French fashion. Her head made a bow: her eyes went to sleep and woke again; she had a voice that said two words—more precious than two thousand in the mouth of a mere living creature. Kitty’s arms opened and embraced her gift with a scream of ecstasy. That fervent pressure found its way to the right spring. The doll squeaked: ‘‘Mamma!’—and creaked—and cried again—and said: ‘‘ Papa!” Kitty sat down on the floor; her legs would support her no longer. ‘I think I shall faint,” she said, quite seriously. In the midst of the general laughter, Sydney silently placed a new toy (a pretty little imitation of a jeweler’s casket) at Kitty's side, and drew back before the child could look at her. Mrs. Presty was the only person present who noticed her pale face and the trembling of her hands as she made the effort which preserved her composure. The doll’s necklace, bracelets, and watch and chain riveted Kitty’s attention on the casket. Just as she thought of looking round for her dear Syd, her father produced a new outburst of delight by presenting a perambulator worthy of thedoll. Her uncle followed with a parasol, devoted to the preservation of the doll’s complexion when she went out for an airing. Then there came a pause. Where was the generous grandmother's gift? Nobody remembered it; Mrs. Presty herself discovered the inestimable sixpenny picture-book cast away and forgotten on a distant window-seat. ‘I have a great mind to keep this,” she said to Kitty, ‘‘ till you are old enough to value it prop- erly.” In the moment of her absence at the window, Lin- ley’s mother-in-law lost the chance of seeing him whisper to Sydney: ‘‘Meet me in the shrubbery in half an hour,” he said. She stepped back from him, startled by the proposal. When Mrs. Presty was in the middle of the room again, Linley and the gov- erness were no longer near each other. Having by this time recovered herself, Kitty got on her egs. % Now,” the spoilt child declared, addressing the company present, ‘‘ I’m going to play.” The doll was put into the perambulator, and was wheeled about the room, while Mrs. Linley moved the chairs out of the way, and Randal attended with the open parasol—under orders to ‘“‘ pretend that the sun was shining.” Once more the six- penny picture-book was neglected. Mrs. Presty picked it up from the floor determined by this time to hold it in reserve until her ungrateful grandchild reached years of discretion. She ut it in the bookcase between Byron’s ‘‘Don Juan” and utler’s ‘* Lives of the Saints.” In the position which she now ECOMICcloookxs (E() mn