Weaker than a Woman — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

ng ‘~ md or ca WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 482, “All, and more if I had it,” was her answer; and then there was silence for some minutes, while the fire burned brighter and the north wind wailed. “My dear Evelyn,” said Darcy Lonsdale—and his voice. was broken with emotion—“ how shall I ever thank you ?” An expression of perfect rapture came over the girl’s face. | 7 | “You will let me do it?” she cried. “ You have made me one of the happiest girls in the world !” The thin hands clasped hers, and the sunken eyes looked tenderly into hers. “Will I let you give it to me, my dearest Eve? No—a thousand times no! Itis not for the money I am thanking you, but for the thought, for the intention. You have eladdened my heart, you have gladdened my life—you have given me the courage to get better, you have given me hope. I shall be so much the better for your coming.” “But that is not the point!” she cried. ‘“ Dear Mr. Lons- dale, do accept the money. Ah, if you knew how little I care for it, and how much I care for you—if you knew the pleasure it would give me, you could not refuse !” He drew the sweet face down to his, and kissed 1t. “My dear Eve, I would rather have this offer made to me than any other. You have restored some of my: self- esteem, child, some of my self-respect.” Kvelyn looked up in wonder, for Felix had bent down and kissed her hand; he gazed at the sweet, flushed face with wonder. “Eve,” he said, “you are an angel. I shall never forget what you have said and done. I shall never forget that you have given a desponding, almost despairing man, hope.” And again there came to him just'a passing wish, a faint fleeting desire, that Violet had shown the same affection for them; but again he checked the thought. Violet was a eolden-haired goddess, and goddesses did not go about making offers of their possessions to unfortunate men. Eve could hardly be comforted because they would not take her money. She did win one promise from Darcy Lonsdale, and that was, that if he saw himself very hardly pushed he would borrow a few hundreds at least to go on with. - But, though she had not succeeded in the one great object of her visit, she had at least done good—she left more hopeful hearts behind her. Later on, when Felix had seen Eve home and Katie had listened with eyes dimmed by tears to the story of her “ar Pe . 4 — ja ee” S “A of eS ao “—cY. Oe a a Pe ae ee ae er AO a ee x aes eta a Parl iee: Se eee ee bn ee, ee ee, fate Be, MSS” | ag i Jt) Le yy» AS . a > » SSuai DT stp Aa ~~ St ake Pereteni: na ae a hen ws , Meee | TAI ye eens. a nal ; “* 4, Pi ; \ ees RFs ~ cake tHe 5 Pak “ie ae Pe Powe yet \\ y : ye . = > Sg: ¥ os ‘* A Me > lat 29 ie 7 . ' ar ~e > = 7 ; Py ie"? ee =e Aw * ge , py , - 4 ha | te *, ; - ae ‘ ae Pr. ,, epaek ~~ van eas od SJ at 5 \ so = rol ON a 7 ae Le + on ; it . ‘ “ Y 5! ~ > a ¥ <- . ‘ : ay ‘ : } . - i : 6, Te: * Ad “s —~ 2 . . pe » be 4 ~~ ‘thot! » S - P * ta! + : + : hee ‘ e. a? mad mp “ eer] - - “~<" .. Fe ‘ vi ‘% § c> . i Pr, ia s ‘ > . + ~ a = Xs ye | » ty 2 ’ } » 7 4 : - _ « § : ‘ . * ~ - - » , ¥ a . . — P ‘ : ss ; : Oe : » ie i , + . (E(0) m Eomicbooks