Should She Have Left Him? — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

HILDA RETURNS HOME. 233 the old gentleman, if it were not for the episode of the wedding journey, the rest might be forgiven. “If Hermann gives up the girl,” he said, ‘‘gives assurances of reform, Hilda will pardon him?” “T think not?’ ‘And indeed, why?” “Her pride has been outraged. With your expe- rience in life, sir, you will understand the potency of that. Do not misunderstand her position. Her desire is a release by divorce. Mrs. Trescotte and myself have persuaded her from that, but no power will alter her present determination. If it is not granted she will leave his roof.” “Why, then,’ asked Mr. Waldemar, “has Mrs, Waldemar the younger waited more than a year after her discovery to make her charges?” It was not the purpose of Trescotte to tell the old gentleman the incidents which had led up to Hilda’s determination. His memory and ready wit served him. “Ta Hoyle had a seat on Hermann’s drag at the races yesterday, and Hermann held the whip himself. She was flaunted, permit me to say, in the faces of Mrs. Waldemar’s friends and associates—the culmi- nation of a long series of insults and humiliations.” The old banker thought for a while and then said: “It is a pity that Mrs. Waldemar the younger could not be persuaded that the better way would be to accept Hermann’s assurances of reform. But you say that is impossible. Well, it shall have to be, then, as she will dictate. I will examine, and in CoMmicloo® SS C@© 3