Weaker than a Woman — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

— - . ' P ® a, eee S. — 92 °° WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. what would be the only thing to cure him. It would be if all his fellow townsmen—all his old friends—met together and did something to prove that they had confidence in him; something of that kind, proving to him that he was respected and esteemed, would be the only thing to cure him.” | * And that will never happen, of course,” said Mrs. Haye. “J am afraid not, but it is the only thing to save him. Dear Mrs. Haye, you are very good to listen to me—I ought not to bring my troubles here.” Mrs. Haye looked kindly at him. ‘Of course,” she said, “if he gets no better, the mainte- nance of the whole family will fall upon you, Felix.” “Yes,” he replied, “it will fall upon me; I cannot desert: - them—I must work for my mother and the little ones.” “In that case, my poor boy,” she asked, “what will you do with a wife ?” | He knelt down by Violet’s side, and took her hand in ~ his; he kissed it with a passion that could not be told. “What shall I do with a wife?” he cried. ‘Ask me rather what I shall do without one. My wife will be my haven, my rest, my hope, my refuge—will give me cour- age, and hope, and fortitude; she will give strength to my mind, my heart, my brain; my wife will be the whole world to me.” “Yes,” agreed Mrs. Haye, gently, “but, Felix, how are you to keep her? How is she to live? You could not take a wife home to Vale House, to an invalid father, a step- mother, and all those children.” “No; I should make a home of my own,” he replied. “Ah, you do not know how I love Violet—how I should work—how I should toil day and night for her! I would keep both homes.” Then he looked up into Violet’s' face. — “You would help me, my darling, would you not? You would dispense with luxuries for a time—only for a time? You would be the nerve of my arm, the strength of my soul. You love me enough to help me over a few trouble- some years, and then fortune will smile on me. You love me enough for that, sweetheart ?” “Yes, I love you,” she whispered. Mrs. Haye rose from her seat and said she must go to her husband. She left Felix kneeling at her daughter’s feet ; when she was gone he buried his face in the silken folds of Violet’s dress; he kissed them, he kissed her hands, he called her by every endearing name. “It has seemed to me like an eternity,” he said. “Oh,