Weaker than a Woman — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

‘ 4M FEE Ay erry Sis te cy 4 n= = 5 ho SS OY Se call . ‘+ - ‘ a 138 Sei WEAKER THAN A WOMAN, “Violet!” he said. “Tam not Violet,” she replied. She saw his whole face change. ) “Oh, Eve, Eve,” he said, “you told me of the — of pain, but the trial was more than I could bear.” “Tam not Eve,” she told him, gently, but from the dim, shadowed look in his eyes she knew that he did not hear her. Gently and quietly, with softest touch, she bathed his hot brow with the cool water of the brook until she saw that his senses had returned to him. “IT found you here, badly hurt,” she said. He tried to rise, but he was quite unable to stir. She laid her hand upon his arm. “No,” she said, “you must not try to stand—you will feel better soon. You are dazed and giddy—you must have struck your head against this branch. Where were you running so quickly ?” “Away from the sound of the bells,” he answered. “I knew that I should not hear them in the depths of the Bramber Woods.” “Did they distress you?” she asked. ‘“I thought them so beautiful.” “They drove me mad—they were killing me,” he re- plied. Then, with a low cry, he bent his face toward the long grass. ‘“T feel sure that I have seen you before,” she said. “Do you know me? I am Lady Bramber ; and you—I have seen you at the Towers. Surely you are Mr. Felix Lons- dale, the dear old lawyer’s son ?”’ He looked at her. ‘Yes, Iam Felix Lonsdale,” he replied; “and I begin to think that Heaven has placed a black cross against my name. I ought to have known you, Lady Maude. I re- member you now, but my head was all confused.” “Your face is quite familiar to me,” said Lady Maude. “You came to the Towers with your father—it is four years since—and you took luncheon with us. I showed you some of my drawings, and you were very shy. It comes back to me so vividly. But, Mr. Lonsdale, why were you running from the sound of those bells?” She saw a spasm of pain pass over his handsome face; his lips trembled. “Do not agitate yourself,” she said, kindly. “Do not tell me if it pains you.” * All the -world—all my world—knows it,” he replied. “I comicbooks.com |