Her Faithful Knight — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

172 For Phyllis’ Sake. “Hate!” Lady Derrick repeated. “Do you mean that she could hate you?” “She can, and will,’ he answered dreamily. “I know her nature. Under that cold crust lies a pent-up volcano of emotion. She is made of ‘spirit, fire and dew,’ like Browning’s ‘Evelyn Hope.’ Look at that exquisite, thin face of hers, in which the least feeling shows through the fine, pale skin, soft and clear as the inner petals of a newly-blown blush rose. Look at the perfect modeling of her arms, round without the least approach to fatness ; all through the third act last night I never once took my eyes off her arms—a man might well sell his soul to feel them clinging around his neck. There is something in her voice, a cooling, caressing quality that allures irre- sistibly, with every now and then a cold, almost hard, note dropped in to pique a man by the sharp contrast. I tell you, mother, Dorothy has all the fascinations of all the women I have ever met and loved, and of others that I have dreamed of, rolled into one.” “You are a poet, my darling,” said his mother, fondly stroking his brow, “and you talk yourself into these frenzies of loving. Your eyes are quite haggard and your hair is moist with excitement. How dare she be so hard and cruel to my dear, handsome boy? She ought to think herself highly honored by your love, without any hope of ever becoming your wife! But to presume to refuse that honor 3 “Don’t, mother, for heaven’s sake! If you adopt that tone toward her my cause is hopeless. If you wish to save my life and reason you must work with me in this. All she cares for in the world at present—until she has married me—is her sister. Play uponthat. Tell her how much I feel for them both, how much I have told you about them : “Have you ever seen the sister?” EOMmiGcdoo <S (S@)