Weaker than a Woman — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. ——_—s‘19 shouted, “Home!” and the horses started off rapidly, leav- ing Felix angry and full of wonder. At first he thought it must be a jest—no one could treat a young wife so barbarously, so cruelly, and he half ex- pected the carriage to return, but it did not, and there was nothing left for him but to make the best of his message. He went back to the ball-room; it was difficult to believe that the beautiful, brilliant young queen around whom the best men in the room had assembled was the wife of the stupid, fierce, drunken baronet. He made his way to her, and waited until he could find an opportunity of speaking to her. “Lady Chevenix,” he said, “I have something I wish to say to you.” _ She turned eagerly to him, and the light that came over her face caused him keen pain. She arose from her seat, dismissed her train of admirers with a queenly smile and bow, and laid her hand upon his arm. If the touch of the little hand made him tremble she was not aware of it. They walked through the crowded ball-room until they came toasmall recess at the end of it; then-she raised her face to his. i | “You wanted to speak to me,” she said. “I shall be very happy to listen.” She decided that he had come to tell her that he would like to be better friends with her; no other thought entered her mind. Her limpid eyes were filled with light as she waited eagerly. “T am afraid it is not a very agreeable subject,” he began. “May I ask if you have seen Sir Owen lately ?” He saw the light and the color fade, the cold, hard look come back again; the very tone of her voice changed. “T saw him halt an hour since, and wanted him to go home with me,” she replied. “Then there has been some mistake just as I imagined. The truth is, Lady Chevenix, Sir Owen has gone home, after intrusting to me a message so brusque and abrupt that -I do not like to deliver it.” Prouder and colder grew the fair face, yet into it there came, he saw, a shadow of fear. Gone home,” she repeated, “and left me here?” | “fam sure there has been a mistake,” he said. “Sir Owen wished me to say that he had sent for you, and—and that as you did not come he had gone home without you.” “ But he will send.the carriage back for me?” she inter- rupted. cComicbooks:co