Guy Hammersley; or, Clearing his Name — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

86 GUY HAMMERSLEY. : But he met her with a roll of music in her hand, about to go on and sing the song for which her name was down. ‘There wasa peculiar gleam in her eyes, and a strangely sweet yet sad smile overspread her face. She seemed not to see him as he passed close by her, nor to hear his low, pleading cry, ‘‘ Mother!” Her gaze was fixed on that stage box opposite. ‘‘What can have come over her that she should seem to avoid me so?” the poor fellow murmured ; and, dropping into a rustic seat just within the side scenes, he buried his face in his hands and sat thus all through the air from ‘‘’Trovatore,” which his mother sang as he had never heard her sing it before. And what a perfect storm of applause broke forth on the conclusion of the song! Ladies waved their handkerchiefs and men cried ‘‘ Bravo / Bravo /” and at last, in response to the overwhelming demand, she gave ‘‘ Home, Sweet Home.” This completely broke Guy up, and so Mrs. Ham- mersley found him when she came off with Ward. ‘Oh, my boy,” she half gasped, and took his hands in hers as she passed in front of him. ‘‘ Mother,” he cried, looking up through the mist that had gathered in his eyes. ‘‘ Whatis it? What have I done that you can no longer confide in me, your son?” ; ‘““My son ?” she repeated, starting back, almost as if the words had been a blow. Then ‘‘ How can I tell him? how can I tell him?” she repeated to herself. Then seeming to nerve herself, she added : ‘‘Come, Guy, come to my dressing-room with me. It is not GEomicvoo cS (€@) m