Weaker than a Woman — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

- 952 | WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. Lady Chevenix seemed to have grown young again; her sunny smiles, her unusual laughter, her quick, clever repartee, her keen enjoyment of their society—all were noticeable. She had indeed altered ; she was like beautiful Violet Haye ; all trace of the quiet, cold Lady Chevenix had vanished. Then her smiles died away for a few minutes as they talked of the terrible trial they had gone through together. She looked with soft, luminous eyes into Darcy Lonsdale’s face. “What old friends we are!” she said, thoughtfully. * And how strange it seems that you should have been with me when he died—that Felix should have been my chief comfort! Whata riddle life is to read!” After a few minutes Mr. Lonsdale remarked : ~ You must not charm us into forgetting our work, Lady Chevenix ; there is so very much to be done.” “You can begin as early as you like in the morning,” she said, “but this one evening you must give tome. Think what a pleasure it is to me to talk to such old friends. I shall get up early, too, and see that you have breakfast before you begin. I shall make your tea; I am sure that no one else could make it nicely enough.” Darcey Lonsdale told her laughingly that she would spoil him, and both gentlemen were surprised to find that they — had,been talking for an hour instead of a few minutes. They arose when the first bell rang for dinner, and Lady Chevenix, looking at Felix, asked him: ; ‘How is Evelyn Lester ?” He told her that she was not looking either bright or well lately, and then they separated. Long after father and son had left her the beautiful woman sat with a happy, brooding light in her eyes, and a smile like summer sunshine on*her lips. And when she arose to return to her visitors she murmured to herself : “At last, my love, at last!” It was a pleasant evening; the dinner-party was bright and cheerful, and after dinner the guests had music, cards, and conversation. More than once Lady Chevenix made room for Felix near her, and talked to him. But, if Lady Chevenix was unusually kind, Mrs. Haye was unusually cold to him; whenever she saw her daughter talking to him, under some pretext or other she interrupted the con- versation. She tried to patronize him, but all efforts at patronage recoiled upon herself. There are some men who comicbooks j “hae on +f ’ ae fC ae wy A. A‘s ‘ be ai fe aoe’ [rt $ —? ‘ ‘ af tg ‘ or Fi ut 4 i * a in a}. 4 bee ‘9. com —