Weaker than a Woman — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

WEARER THAN A WOMAN. 179 and writing and worry was too much forme. I was. tired of it.” She read the note, and laid it down without comment. “ Are you pleased, Violet?” he asked. ‘“T am pleased if you are,” she replied. She was thinking whether this would bring her and Felix more together. “T tell you what we’ll do, Violet. We will give a grand é dinner-party, and you must ask all the people from Bram- ber Towers, with Mr. and Mrs. Lonsdale andFelix. See about it at once; send the notes out to- day.” | She obeyed him without a word. CHAPTER XXXIIT. ‘‘T WISH I WERE DEAD!” “lay “We cannot refuse,” said Darcy Lonsdale, as he held Sir Owen’s invitation open in his hand. “We must go this once, and then we can please ourselves afterward. What do you say, Helix ?” Felix thought for a few minutes, and then he said, frankly : “To tell you the truth, father, I think I would rather not go—I do not like the idea. To transact Sir Owen’s busi- ness is all very well, but to dine with him is quite another thing.” “You shall please yourself,” returned Mr. Lonsdale. In his heart, although he had felt great compassion and great indignation concerning his son, he was pleased that he had not married Violet. He had seen no chance of hap- piness for him—he had resented her conduct to him. Darcy Lonsdale knew that his son was bitterly wounded, but he said to himself, ‘Pain is discipline,” and every one had some kind of trouble to undergo. So, when he declined to go to Garswood, Darcy sighed to himself, and was sorry that his son still felt the rankling of an old wound. But Kate would not have it so; for the first time almost in her life she differed from her step-son. * You must go, Felix,” she said. “Only think what peo- ple will say if you stay away. Even Lady Chevenix her- self will be flattered and think you dare not meet her. Go, Felix; I should not like to give her that triumph. You will have to meet her some time or other—do it now.” He was not quite willing at first, but after a time Kate persuaded him, and it was arranged they should go, Eomicbooks = od Ft Seren vs a » By. # * - tn Ok « , > a (eo) m