Weaker than a Woman — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

28 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. loved you since you were seven years old. You will be just as happy when you are my wife as you are now—will you not?” “I cannot tell,” she replied. If she had spoken the real truth she would have told him that she was unwilling to lay down her sovereignty—that the homage and admiration she received were very precious to her—that she enjoyed them—that she liked to know she was the queen of the country-side. All that of course would end when she was married. The married ladies she knew led dull lives—or dull they seemed to her—spent in the routine of duty. They superintended their households, nursed their children, directed their servants. It seemed dreary work to her—a life that held little. She had hoped for more than this; her brilliant beauty ought to bring her a brighter fate than that which these plain-faced matrons had met. | While she sat musing with these thoughts plainly writ- ten on her fair face Felix was looking earnestly at her. “Let me say September, Violet,” he pleaded; “that is a glorious month, and the house will be quite ready. My darling, gladden my heart with one word.” But he was never quite sure whether she had spoken that word or not; her eyes were dim with tears, and she mur- mured something to the effect that she loved him—had al- ways loved him; while something of remorse seemed to tinge her manner. Her fingers thrilled him with their soft touch, her lovely lips quivered as she talked to him— but he could never tell whether she had whispered the word he wanted. eg That evening, when he reached home, Evelyn Lester was there, and a sense of rest came over him at the first glance at her sweet face. She went up to him with the gentle grace and dignity that characterized her. | ‘Felix, I have heard good news—you are favored in for- tune and in love. Is it all true?” | “ Yes”—he told her it was all true; he had been spend- ing the evening at the Limes—he had just left Violet. He walked home with Evelyn, and he was struck with the strange sense of rest that came over him. She was not beautiful, but the sweet face was very fair and very ten- der, her voice musical and full of sympathy ; she spoke so kindly of beautiful Violet, she praised her so generously and warmly, she spoke with such real enthusiasm of her loveliness, of the admiration she excited, of her brilliancy, that his heart warmed to her. She listened with such Bt a - . t : ¥ * - ye * - dl 4 ad 4 . : Cc ’ 7 ; a, < « « ~ ms - * » r ¢ ba * * . «* ~~ ‘ -