Lady Evelyn — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

Mignonnette’s Secret. 163 and her-black eyes flashed. Still she laughed—a trifle bit- terly. “Oh, of course! Trust aman to judgea woman! You are all alike—hearts of stone. The best of you can’t un- derstand us—hardly to be wondered at, perhaps, when the — best of us can’t understand ourselves. But, Mike!” “Yes, mam’selle.”’ | “I want to ask you a question. I feel interested in your ill-fated Lord Roderick. ‘You told me he was an earl’s son ?”’ “His only son, mam’selle—the Earl of Clontarf.” “The earl is dead, I suppose?” “Years ago, little queen—dead of a broken heart.” “Yes. And, if this Lord Roderick had his right, he would be Earl of Clontarf now ?” “He would, mam’selle. More’s the pity and the shame ’ that he’s not.”’ “Well, suppose he was—suppose he had married, and had a daughter—she would bear a title, and be presented — at court in train and diamonds, and have the best in the kingdom at her feet?” “She would, mam’selle. There isn’t older or better blood in the three kingdoms than the Desmonds of Clon- tarf. And she would be a beauty, too. Lord Rory’s daughter could not help it.’ Mignonnette laughed again—that laugh which sounded so strangely to honest Mike from her lips, “No doubt. Well, his cousin, you say, holds the title and estates? This wicked Gerald Desmond—is that how you called him ?—is Earl of Clontarf to-day?” Teter is: “And has he a daughter?” “Ay, that he has, and a wonderful haath I’ve heard | say, too. Her mother, they tell me, was that before her. She must have been, or Lord Rory would never have loved, her as he did.” ‘ “And her name—was her name Inez, Mike?” _Mam’ selle!’”—again the sick man started up in amaze -—“‘are you a witch? I never told you her name.’ “Didn’t you? Perhaps I am a witch! At least, I know it, you see. And your Lord Rory loved her like that? Now, if she had loved him one tithe as dearly as comicbooks co . more re ——_ic. 7 =