Weaker than a Woman — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

248 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. ‘Now tell me about the wedding,” said Miss Lester. And Felix gave her a most animated account of it. She was delighted, and would have listened to him for another hour, but that her keen eyes detected a dairymaid enjoying the homage paid by one of the reapers. ‘Go into the house and find Eve,” she said. ‘“I shall be with you directly.” Felix found Eve in the. garden, and so intently was the girl thinking that she never heard his footsteps until he stood by her side. “Hive!” he said, gently, and he was startled by the sudden change in her face when she saw him. It was dyed crim- son, and the sweet, earnest eyes fell before his. She could not speak to him at once, and a sudden conviction flashed across his mind that at the moment he had accosted her she was thinking of him. ‘My dear Eve,” he said, “are we such strangers that you should be so startled by my presence? I was told you were not looking so well. and I am come to see.” “IT am quite well,” she answered, in her sweet, low voice, “and very pleased to see you.” | “You look well enough just now. You have the color of a rose in your face,” he told her. “May I find a seat here? I have an hour to spare, and am come to spend it with you.” He sat down on a little garden chair, under the luxuriant jessamine, and began to talk to her. A sense of peace and repose always came over him when he was with Hve—a sense so sweet that he never cared to disturb it, and the same magical feeling was stealing over him now. When they had been talking for some time, he looked at her, and then he saw how true Mrs. Lonsdale’s words were. The sweet face had grown very thin and pale; there was a dull look in the tender eyes, as though she had wept bitter tears. She was much changed, and Felix was pained to see it. He marveled as to the cause, and then decided to - question her. “Hive,” he said, gently, “you are not well. Why do you not go to the sea-side for change of air?” 3 I am happier here than I should be anywhere,” she re- plied. His ears detected a tone of patient weariness in her voice. ‘* Eve,” he said, impulsively, “I do not believe you are happy. Have you any trouble or sorrow? Trust me, as I trust you.” The sweet face looked up at him. comic 900kKS com ‘ > —