Weaker than a Woman — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. (99 as she bade Lady Rolfe good-morning that the keen, worldly woman felt alarmed. “She would never look like that, Lavinia,” she cried, “unless in somé way or other she had the best of the mat- ter. Surely it can never be that he has asked her to marry him.” ) “My dear mother, Sir Owen may marry just whom he pleases. The only fact which interests me is that he has not asked me to marry him. As for Miss Haye, I am not interested in her, and do not care to talk about her.” ; Miss Rolfe dismissed the matter very quickly from her mind, but Lady Rolfe pondered it deeply. Surely she must be mistaken—the best match in the county, the most eligible man for many miles around, could never be so ab. surd as to throw himself away on a mere nobody like Vio- let Haye, even though she had the face of an angel and the grace of a queen. CHAPTER XIX. VIOLET’S DECISION. So the decision as to her own future was left entirely in Violet’s hands. Neither father nor mother spoke one word which could influence her, and Felix was so engrossed in his business that he was but seldom able to see her. Sir . Owen, on the contrary, always kept himself present in her mind. Every day brought hampers, parcels of books, everything that could be thought of, from the Hall. Every day brought a little note begging that she would accept flowers, fruit, or whatever accompanied it. He rode over very often himself; he seemed to bring an- atmosphere of the fashionable world with him; he was always full of spirits, with wonderful news to tell. Violet had been very much annoyed by Lady Rolfe’s warning—it had turned the balance the wrong way. “I understand,” she said to herself—‘ they think I am so far beneath Sir Owen that he will never deign to marry me. How mistaken they are, and how little they know of the real truth! How I could surprise them if I wished to do so! What a triumph and a victory I could win over them all! How they would wonder to see me Lady Cheve- nix! If ever I do become Lady Chevenix, that woman, Lady Rolfe, shall come no more to Garswood.” That was the first time she had ever admitted to herself that there was an “if” in the matter—the first time she had __ EComicbooks (ee)