Weaker than a Woman — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. i73 “Tam afraid, to use a lawyer’s phrase, that is a true in- dictment,” he replied. “ Lady Chevenix, I must plead guilty. I was thinking of Lord Rayden.” “And I was thinking of you,” she said, gently... “You are very kind,” he returned, indifferently” ‘ Lord Rayden is quite a new type of man to me; J have seen no one like him.” They were walking down the path together now—he had been compelled to follow, as she led. The white acacia blossoms fell on them; the evening breeze was full of sweetness. Lady Chevenix turned to him with her old eraceful impetuosity. “TI do not want to talk about Lord Rayden. Ido not care to hear about him; I want to hear of you.” “You are very kind,” he said again, with a polite bow. She stamped her little foot on the ground impatiently. “Do not be so polite to me,” she cried, and then she seemed suddenly to remember herself. ‘I beg your pardon, Felix,” she said, “but I want to know if you will .be friends with me?” | “T do not understand you, Lady Chevenix,” he replied, and she knew there was nothing but indifferent wonder in his voice. “You do not understand? You must understand. A child would know what I meant. Will you be friends with me ?” She stood still as she asked him the question, and looked up at him with wistful eyes. In the half-golden light her face shone out clear and pure asa star. She held out her hand to him. “Will you be friends?” she repeated, and this time her lip quivered. He did not touch the hand she held out to him, He had bidden farewell to those hands—their least touch was no longer for him. “Do you mean, Lady Chevenix, to ask me if I will be your friend? I do not see that that is possible—you forget the difference in our positions.” “You are Lady Maude?’s friend,” she interrupted. “Yes, that is natural. I have business relations with Lady Maude’s father. It is quite a different matter. There never can be much friendship, I think, between people of different positions.” The tears stood in her eyes. “T did not think you could have spoken so to me,” she said, mn Eomicbooks (0)