Weaker than a Woman — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

36 ‘= i* WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. _ believe our misfortunes are not always displeasing even to those we call our friends.” ‘But these people have known me so long.” Mr. Lonsdale could think of nothing so strange as that —no argument was so potent. He had lived among them all his life. Why did they not trust him as he trusted them ? “If any one among them had come to me and had told me such a thing of another, I would not have credited it— and they are only too ready, it seems, to believe it of me. Malcolm, how in Heaven’s name am I to go home and tell this to my wife? Am I totell her that a blameless life spent in the midst of people who have known me since I was a child, is no shield against slander ?” “Tam very sorry for you,” said George Malcolm; “I can say nomore. Ido not believe it, and I shall stand by you through it all.” The two men shook hands, but Darcy Lonsdale’s face wore a puzzled, wondering look. “Can it be a jest, do you think, Malcolm—a jest to try me ?” “No, itis no jest. Hardman will get the money if he can.” “TI would not take it unless I thought it were really mine —I would refuse to touch it; but I cannot do that, for I am sure my old friend left it to me for the children. I. must be just to them. Great Heaven, I have kept a blame- less name all my life only to meet with this fate—to see my old friends point at me as aman who would cheat his © chent. I wish I had been dead before I had known this. Tell me what Hardman is going to do.” ‘He has placed the whole matter in the hands of a Lon- don firm, and the trial will come on about the end of Sep- tember. You must prepare your defense and look up your witnesses. ” “Tf my whole life does not witness for me,” said Darcy Lonsdale, with quiet dignity, “then the words of no man can benefit me.” He dreaded going home—for the first time in his life he disliked passing through the streets of his native town, for the first time he shrank from the glances and words of his old comrades. ‘“ Heaven help Kate!” he said to himself. “How amI to tell her ?” But Kate knew already—such news travels fast. It was no weeping, hysterical wife who clung to him, half mad ér F ‘ * - ~ # iw be Sad a Ue S4 Ye s fe Td oy ees ele att comicbooks.com — i are ga eee iy > ae T>4 i _- 4 ~ m5 ¥ fas ay