Weaker than a Woman — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 163 the county; she had every luxury that money could pur- chase; she was feted, admired, flattered; she received un- wonted homage. The local papers were full of descriptions of the gayeties and amusements going on at Garswood, and gave a list of the fashionable visitors gathered there, and every now and then came some reference to the great beauty of Lady Chevenix. The ladies of the neighborhood, reading this, looked at each other in wonder, as though they would have said, “Can this be the girl we knew as Violet Haye?” . For Lady Chevenix held up her ead with the highest among them. She never ignored the past—she spoke of it without hesitation; she talked of her home, the Limes, of her parents, of all her old Lilford friends, with the excep- tion of the Lonsdales, whom she appeared to have quite forgotten. But though she never named them she thought of them, and when she read the brilliant account of all the festivities, she knew that Felix would read the same, that he would hear them talked about. One thing she did won- der at, and that was why he had never contrived to see her. She had imagined that he would make some effort, but he had made none. Christmas came and went; the snow- _ drops and the crocuses came, the blue violets peeped out, and the desire of her heart was given to Lady Chevenix. She went to London and made her debut at court. Then it seemed to her that she had reached the climax of all happiness and grandeur. Sir Owen possessed a hand- some mansion in Belgravia, and the season they spent in town was one long scene of uninterrupted gayety and ex- citement. Young, surpassingly beautiful, graceful, Lady Chevenix soon won a place for herself in the highest and most exclusive circle. She was idolized; her wealth, her diamonds, her superb mansion, her grand parties, were subjects of public comment. But after a time she found that, although she was liked and flattered, her husband was simply detested. No one seemed to care for him; his man- ners were so coarse that when she contrasted him with other men of his own rank and position she was ashamed of him; she read intense dislike and aversion to him in the faces of the people whom she liked best and of whom she geet approved. Thoughtless, laughing young men said to er “Come without your husband, or we shall not enjoy our- selves.” When she particularly pressed any lady to come to see her for some special purpose the answer always was: nm comicbooks co