Weaker than a Woman — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

218 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. After a pleasant day they left Garswood early in the even- ing. Lady Chevenix had been alone all day; the servants were in.attendance on the numerous guests, and in the evening she asked for tea, thinking that Sir Owen and Felix would like to join her. Sir Owen, who had drank more brandy in a few hours than another man would have drank in a week, made some observation about her ladyship’s tea, which, when repeated by the footman in the servants’ hall, caused great amusement. Felix was sorry to decline, but he had some hours of hard work yet in the strong-room ; the leases were all to be signed on the morrow. When the visitors were all gone he returned to the strong-room and resumed his work. Lady Chevenix went to him to persuade him to let her send some tea there, and — he consented. He looked at her, as she stood in that darkened room, in her evening dress of white silk and trail- ing lace. She wore a superb suite of opals, which shone with the “ fire that lives in gems.” She looked like a dream of beauty in that dull, gloomy room. She sent him some tea, and asked him to come to the drawing-room when. he had finished, and he promised to do so. When she returned Sir Owen lay on one of the couches, fast asleep. She was thankful to see him asleep, and hoped that he might wake up quite himself. She drew down the blinds and darkened the room. Who could tell what she suffered in her heart, this fair, stately woman, who shrank s0 © keenly from all stigma of disgrace, her daily, hourly dread lest her husband should do something that would entail everlasting shame upon them, lest any one should see him in those moments when he was quite unfit to be seen? What a double life she led, this briliant and beautiful woman—before the world all gayety, smiles, and anima- tion, in her own heart always a terrible weight of anxiety. For this evening at least she was safe. She thought he would wake up himself, and then they would spend a happy hour with Felix, so she watched lest sound or light should disturb him until Mr. Lonsdale joined them. He awoke at last, but the sun had long set, and the fra- erant silence of night lay over the earth. She had cooling fruit that was pleasant to eye and taste ready for him, she had everything that was refreshing, but no stimulant. He pushed aside the purple grapes and the crimson straw- berries. “Where is the brandy?” he asked her. ‘The idea of “ comicbooks.com ~* ;