Weaker than a Woman — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

88 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. “My dear Felix !” exclaimed gentle Mrs. Lonsdale. “So I should, madre,” and the young, handsome face deepened with angry scorn for every one who should har- bor an evil thought of one so beloved. The love between father and son was almost pathetic in its intensity. Presently Mrs. Lonsdale said, musingly : “What will Violet say when she hears it?” “Say?” cried Felix. “She will be indignant. She will agree with me that any man who listens to it ought to be shot. Why do you look so strangely at me, madre 2” “I was wondering,” she said, ‘“ whether this would make any difference to her or to her parents—I mean in respect to yourself.” ‘Difference? No—yet lam wrong. Yes, it will make this one difference. She will love me the better, and cling to me the more. Ihave no doubt about Violet—my sweet Violet. Itis the one thing needed to quicken her love for me with a new, strange life.” He wondered why Mrs. Lonsdale sighed. Why need any one sigh? Violet’s love, Violet’s faith, was his rock of refuge. To doubt her would be death. “I have no fear,” he said, throwing back his head proudly. “ Violet will love me now as she has never loved me before. My only trouble is about my dear father, and what I can do to help him.” | They talked until long after midnight; they looked the evil in the face. If they went to law, and the law was against them, what then? They would be dreadfully em- barrassed for ready money. The nursery governess must go, but they could remain at Vale House, and the partner- ship should not be dissolved. CHAPTER VIIZ. “VOU ARE AN ANGEL.’’ The autumn was come; the golden glory of summer had given way toit. The luxuriant trees made the woods a picture. The yellow leaves lay in dank heaps, the corn had all been cut and carried, the fruit gathered ; the gloam- ing was longer, the sunset had clouds of deeper crimson. The little town of Lilford had experienced a social earth- quake. The great trial of Lonsdale versus Hardman had been decided, and the verdict—no one but the twelve in- telligent jurymen who gave it knew why—was against Darcy Lonsdale ; the will was declared null and void, and comicbooks.com | <5 TE ane es Se a Ly ’