Weaker than a Woman — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. ges 263 “T do not suppose I shall ever be happy—but you will. I am not noble enough for you; and, if you had married me your disappoint- ment would have been oreat, You will meet some day a noble woman whom you will love and marry. I know that, in saying ‘good-by’ now, I say it forever ; but forever I shall be your unhappy, VuioueEr.” He laid the letter down and looked at if. He had almect expected such an answer, yet his disappointment was great, and his eyes filled with tears. It had been very sweet and very dear to him, this precious love-story—and the end was sorrow ; still he could not be surprised. “She has chosen that which she loves best,” he said, ‘fand I cannot blame her now. I must try to forget her.” He did it bravely, as he had done it before. He threw | his whole heart into his work, and fought inch by inch with the great master-passion of his life. For some time after that it was rumored in Lilford that Lady Chevenix was not well; that she had lost her color and her spirits; that she was ill and saw noone. Then quite suddenly she sent for Darcy Lorisdale, and told him that she had come to the conclusion that the air of Gars- wood did not suit her; that for the future she intended to divide her time between London and Paris. To his sur- prise, she added that the Marquis of Renmore had offered to buy the Garswood estates, and that she thought of sell- ing them to him; but it would be only on condition that he retained Darcy Lonsdale as his agent. After some months, during which Lady Chevenix and Felix never met, this was accomplished; but her lady- ship’s removal was prevented for a time by the sudden death of Francis Haye. Then Mrs. Haye sold the Limes and went away with her daughter. So it came to pass that, before six months were over, the names of Chevenix and Haye were no longer to be found in the county. Great had been the surprise. The whole neighborhood was stirred. It was much to be regretted that sucha change should take place. But Lord Arlington and Cap- tain Hill said gravely that it was the best thing Lady Chevenix could do. She had suffered much at the Hall— she would probably begin quite new in life in an unfamul- iar place. The new occupants of Garswood—the Marquis of Ren- more, with his two maiden sisters and a large household of servants—gave more satisfaction to the public in general than the wealthy baronet had done. It was an excellent agency for the Lonsdales, who, by dint ‘of industry and perseverance, were rapidly amassing a fortune. Darcy was Comicbooks €o mn