Weaker than a Woman — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

- WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 97 “T cannot,” she said, quietly; “they are too valuable. I should never wear them.” “You shall wear them at Court,” he told her, “and no royal duchess has finer.” “Helix Lonsdale would not be willing,” she said, calmly ; “TI cannot take them.”’ An angry flush burned his face, a lurid light leaped into his eyes, but a sign from Mrs. Haye controlled him. “My daughter is quite right, Sir Owen. She cannot take these diamonds from you while she is the promised wife of Felix Lonsdale. I will help you, Violet.” The diamonds were taken off and restored to their cases. Mrs. Haye had never acted more wisely. Violet would have resented it had they been pressed upon her; woman-like, when they were so quietly taken back, she began to long for them. There was no word spoken as Sir Owen replaced the cases in his pocket and rose to take his leave. “1 trust I have not offended you, Miss Haye,” he said, “by offering you the best tribute I could think of to prove my admiration.” “Why should I be offended, Sir Cys ? You were kind to think of me, but I—you see, I cannot take them.” “TJ will not offend again,” he replied. He shook hands with Francis Haye and his wife; he parted from Violet with a bow. When the door had closed behind him Francis Haye looked at his daughter. “Vou have refused quite twenty thousand pounds,” he said. Mrs. Haye held up her hand with a warning gesture. “She has done quite right, Francis. It would be absurd for the wife of a poor struggling lawyer to wear twenty thousand pounds’ worth of jewels—more than absurd. Who would make puddings and mend socks clad in such dia- monds as those? Let Violet be consistent. She prefers linsey-woolsey to satin, poverty to riches. It is her own choice—we must not interfere.” Violet kissed her mother, but Mrs. Haye felt with keen delight that there was little rapture in the kiss; and all the rest of the evening the fair face was clouded. Another thing happened which annoyed Violet. She was walking one day through Ordfield lane, when she met Lady Rolfe and her daughter Lavinia. With great cor- diality her ladyship stopped to talk to her. “Will you mind walking on with me, Miss Haye?” she cS EComicboo €o mn