Weaker than a Woman — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

270 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. him. “Some one said once that blonde women were all insipid and weak of purpose. It is not true, is it, Felix?” “No,” he replied. “Now,” said his lovely wife, “if I looked into that cham- ber, what should I see ?” “Your own image,” he answered, and she believed him. “We will go and see Violet, Duchess of Rokely,” she said, “if you are willing. That is not the letter of a happy woman.’ She understood why he was so anxious about her toilet —why he insisted that she should wear the fashionable spring silk and the pretty Parisian bonnet. He kissed her _ when she stood ready dressed. ‘‘T.am so proud of you, my darling,” he whispered. And those few words brought a lovely flush to her fair face and made her fairer than ever ; then they drove off to- gether to Rokely House. It was one of the finest ducal mansions in London. Eve was awe struck as the great hall door opened and she saw the liveried servants and the magnificence that might have befitted the palace of a king. Her Grace, the Duchess of Rokely was at home, and awaited them. They went through suite after suite of magnificent rooms until they reached her grace’s boudoir, where she had elected to receive them. It was a superb apartment—octa- gon-shaped — the panels and ceiling most exquisitely painted, the hangings all of blue velvet and gold; priceless treasures of art lavishly scattered around, buhl, marquetry, old china, rare pictures, most exquisite statues—orna- ments of gold and silver, and in the midst of all this mag- nificence stood an imper ially beautiful woman, who looked at it all with proudly contemptuous eyes. Violet had grown even more beautiful. Her superb figure was more fully developed ; her fair face had something in it haughtier and colder. Very proud she looked as she stood there, dressed in her favorite colors, blue and white —a dress of blue velvet relieved by trimmings of white silk. In one hand she held a priceless fan ; the other white and jeweled hand lay upon the table. Her lovely face grew white even to the lips as Eve and Felix entered the gorgeous room, but she advanced to meet them; she took Eve’s hands in her own, and looked at Felix. “T am so glad to see you. It was kind of you to come. I longed to see you both before I went away. Sit down and comicbooks / » dy eh Be % %i- » - ., a .- _ —. a” r Swe - = YF a ae 4 col