Weaker than a Woman — page 264: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 255 speak to you to-night, and she came atonce. Felix, will you listen ?” “How can I help but listen?” he replied. “ What do you wish to say to me, Lady Chevenix ?” With a charming gesture of impatience she laid a finger on his lips. “You must not call me ‘Lady Chevenix,’” she said. “I am ‘Violet’ to you. Say ‘ Violet,’ and then I will tell you what I came for.” | Perhaps, if he had had time to prepare himself, to think matters over, to take some precautions, he would have known better how to listen, and what to say. As it was, she seemed suddenly to have taken possession of him, of his whole nature. “You make me say what you will, Violet,” he said. She clasped her hands, and laid them upon his arm. “I want to tell you a story, Felix,” she said— give me your attention while I narrate it. Years ago there was a girl—young, foolish, and, the world said, fair. She was vain, too, of her beauty, and expected to achieve great things with it. She loved with all her heart some one who was more than worthy of her love,.and she promised to be his wife. But sorrow and misfortune came to him, while a wealthy wooer sought her—one who offered her wealth and title, houses and lands—and she—well, I am ashamed of her, Felix. She was vain, and much weaker than a woman; she was young, too, and not over-wise. She had nobility enough, however, to see what was right, though not to doit. She was tempted by her love of luxury and comfort—she was badly advised, wrongly infiuenced; and — she, weaker, I say again, than a woman, gave up her lover —the one man in the world whom she loved—and married the wealthy suitor. How she suffered no one knows, no one can tell. Her marriage turned out to be a most disas- trous one. She had money, luxury of every kind, but she never had one moment of happiness—one moment of peace, of rest. She had outward brilliancy and pleasure; but her life was one round of lamentation and anxious sorrow. No one knew what she suffered; no one knew how she re- gretted the lost true dear love who would have made her life a heaven on earth. After she was married she met him again, and—well, he was always cold and distant to her. What she thought and what she suffered was known to herself. Then, after long years of humiliating servi- tude, she was alone again, and free. What do you think she did, Felix ?” Eo m EComicbooks