Weaker than a Woman — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

614 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. They were startled and fled to the thicket. As they saw the reapers pass.” —¢Now the night arose in silence, Birds lay in their leafy nest, And the deer couched in the forest, And the children were at rest. There was only a sound of weeping From watchers around a bed— But rest to the weary spirit, Peace to the quiet dead.’”’ There was silence as the last words fell, and Lady Cheve- nix bowed her head, so as to hide her tears. The gray shadows fell darker. } A loud voice roused them. ‘Where are you? Where have you hidden yourselves? Surely aramble among the flowers does not mean an en- campment by the lake.” Through the clear fragrant air came the odor of a cigar, and Sir Owen, looking very cross, suddenly appeared be- fore them. “T could not find you anywhere,” he said, in a sullen tone. “You must have hidden yourselves on purpose.” Lady Chevenix did not answer him, because she knew that it was needless to do so. Miss Hethcote was equal to the occasion. “Tf we had wanted to hide,” she said, ‘we should have hidden. As we did not, we remained here. If you are going to be cross, Sir Owen, do not spoil an agreeable party by joining it.” He laughed then, and sat down with them, but the beauty, the poetry and peace, were all gone. He began to teli of a fight he had seen between a King Charles’ spaniel and a toy terrier, laughing heartily at it, and wondering they did not laugh also. It was an exquisite joke to him to tell how the little King Charles lay dying—and even in dying tried to lick his hand. ‘Do you enjoy seeing anything suffer, Sir Owen,” asked Miss Hethcote. “I think a dog-fight, or anything of that kind, capital sport,” he answered. “ But the unfortunate creatures must feel.” “Feel!” sneered Sir Owen. ‘What nonsense! Hoxes were made to be hunted, rats to be worried, dogs. to fight. Why should they feel ” With a shrug of her shoulders she turned away from * "com