Her Faithful Knight — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

18 A Moonlight Walk. His sub-editorial work on a London daily newspaper kept him employed from a little before nine every evening un- til about four on the following morning. At the present time he was staying in bachelor apartments situated con- veniently near his club off the Strand and the office of his newspaper in Fleet street. Saturdays were entirely free, and on the following day, which was a Saturday, Aylmer was asked to appear for an absent dramatic critic at the first performance of a new play at a fashionable comedy theatre not far from Piccadilly Circus. He was glad of the work as a change from the office routine, although at this present time he was so deeply in love that he would rather have spent the evening in roaming the streets in the neighborhood of the Museum, in the hope of meeting the lady of his thoughts, than have enjoyed the finest play ever performed on any stage. Perhaps, in consequence of this exceptional frame of mind, the new piece failed to interest him. There was not enough love in it, and the leading lady was extremely unlike his ideal in appearance. “Either the piece and the acting are mediocre,” thought Aylmer, “or this love is making such a fool of me as to incapacitate me from enjoying anything in life.” He had fully made up his mind to ask Miss Knight to marry him on the first possible opportunity; but such a request requires a little leading up to, and her bearing was so fenced about with chilling dignity that he dared not injure his possible chances by appearing officious and premature. Under this system, Aylmer, a naturally pleasant tempered man, was growing absent-minded, cap- tious and irritable. Her image dominated his dreams, spoiled his meals, and never for a moment left his waking mind. He was conscious that such a state of things could not go on, and longed to bring matters to a crisis. Who and what she was, what position in life her parents and EOMIGd oOo “S (S@)