Weaker than a Woman — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

74 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. “T am unfortunate if I have spoken impolitely or ab- ruptly,” he returned. “Friendship is to me a very sacred ~ ~ thing—lI never lightly use the word—and I cannot but say that for Lady Chevenix of Garswood and a very hard- working lawyer there can be no common ground.” “IT have known you all my life,” she said. He looked at her. He did not speak. It seemed to him that further speech would be imprudent. Her eyes fell be- fore the clear, honest gaze; there was no reproach in it, no upbraiding, but it reached the depths of her soul. They came to the end of the path; he did not turn back. There was a garden-chair; she sat down upon it, and he passed on with a low bow. CHAPTER XXXII. THE LONSDALES’ DECISION. Lady Chevenix and Felix Lonsdale did not meet again for some time. Sir Owen had not made a very favorable impression at Bramber Towers. The earl had invited him, with his beautiful young wife, to a grand ball, but Felix was not present, and Sir Owen forgot himself so far as to drink too much, and then, when intoxicated, to use coarse language. ! In September Sir Owen was invited to be present at a grand political banquet given at Oldstone, and Felix made one of the most telling speeches of the night. It was so eloquent, so magnificent in its true, noble ideas, its pictur- esque language, that he became popular; a man who could speak so well ought to be in Parliament, the leaders said, and it seemed very probable that at the next election Felix would stand an excellent chance. Sir Owen was startled; he thought a great deal about “young Lonsdale.” With all his own dense stupidity, he was capable of admiring great talent in others. Another thing struck him. During the banquet he sat next to Cap- tain Hill, who told him that he had heard Lord Arlington say that the wisest action of his lifé was the placing of his affairs in the hands of Darcy and Felix Lonsdale. Sir Owen thought a great deal of that; a good, clever, trustworthy land agent was a person he had long desired above all _ others, and, if the Lonsdales served Lord Arlington so faithfully they would perhaps serve him in a like manner. He thought over it some days before he mentioned the sub- ject to his wife. \e comicbooks