Weaker than a Woman — page 149: what you’re looking at

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140 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. withdrawn their business from him—some under one pre- text, some under another. We have had a struggle such as few could understand, and my great fear is that my father will never be a strong man again.” ‘He wants reaction,” she said—“ something that would put him back into his ‘place—that would reinstate him in public opinion; and he shall have it. I will tell this story, just as you have told it to me, to the earl, my father, and I am sure this is one of the wrongs he will hasten to redress. I am glad that I have seen you, glad that you have trusted me. There has been a gross miscarriage of justice.” ‘Human laws must always be more or less imperfect,” returned Felix. “Itis only the Divine laws that have no- flaw.” ‘Tell me more of Eve Lester,” said Lady Maude. “ Your fair, false Violet does not interest me, but Eve Lester does. I love noble women—tell me more of her.” He told of her patience, her heroism, her noble, gentle, generous life; and Lady Maude, looking at him, wondered why, when he understood the beauty of her fair soul so _ well, he had not loved her in preference to Violet. “Men are all the same,’ she thought; “a fair face will lead them in any direction. They lose their heads when beauty comes upon the scene; they are not strong-minded ‘asarule.” Then with a smile she looked up at Felix. ‘The little mouse in the fable freed the lion. I will be the mouse in this instance, and I promise you such help for your father as shall make his trouble really a blessing in disguise.” He thought of Eve’s words and repeated them to her. She smiled. “Your friend Eve is right,” she said. ‘‘Sorrow is often a blessing in disguise. Iam glad that I have met you; you will go home all the happier for knowing that the hour of your father’s triumph is at hand. You will have some- thing to distract your thoughts from fair, false Violet; and, remembering my promise, the fourteenth of Septem- ber, her wedding-day, will not be the most unhappy day of your life after all.” He thanked her until the tears came into her eyes again, and then he told her that he was better, and asked her to let him walk with her to the end of the wood. When he tried to stand up, he looked very white and ill—she almost feared for him; but the giddiness soon passed, and they walked together to where she had left her drawing mate- rials. He thanked her again and again so simply and ear- -comicbooks.co