Weaker than a Woman — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

54 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. why it was that the baronet had such a dearth of ideas. She looked up at him so inquiringly that Sir Owen almost involuntarily said : | “Were you going to ask me anything ?” Her face flushed again, remembering what she had thought. He thought her rich, lovely color going and coming the most attractive thing he had ever seen in his life. To give her time to recover herself he addressed some indifferent remark to Felix. He was not gifted with any remarkable comeliness, this young baronet to whom fortune had been so kind: He was tall and thin, without any dignity or ease of manner; his gait was awkward, his hands and arms always gave one the impression that they were more than he could manage. His | hair was black, his eyes were dark, with furtive expression ; he had a dark heavy mustache, which drooped over cruel lips; his face was a strange mixture of moral weakness and brute force. His voice was unpleasant; there was no mellow ring in it, no music; it was high, clear, and shrill; but then he wore a superb diamond pin and diamond rings, his dress was a marvel of the tailor’s art, and he had an in- come of forty thousand a year. What was the grand manly beauty of Antinous, the grace of Apollo, compared with that ? * You will remember you have promised me the first quad- -rille, Miss Haye. I see Lady Rolfe. I must pay my devoirs to her,” and with a low bow Sir Owen turned away. “What splendid diamonds!” cried Violet. ‘What a horrible man!” thought Felix. Violet had been struck with the gems, Felix had been chiefly impressed by the awkward gait and ungainly car riage. He turned to Violet. ‘My darling,” he said, “why have you promised to dance with that horrible man 2” } “ Horrible!” cried Violet. “Do you know how rich and how great he is, Felix ?” | ‘That makes him even more horrible—it is so many mag- nificent gifts wasted. You must not dance with him, Vio- let, but with me. You are mine—you belong to me. I cannot let you go to him even for one dance—even for five minutes,” - Violet laughed. “IT must dance with him now that I have promised, Felix.” : “I do not think that I shall be able to endure it, Violet, e _ * - ra ‘ aad * ig * af) .' ont”, '? 4 ' / . rs oN ; ra Lard 4) St 9 ' oom ' ~ 4, ‘ae ~ ' aw TS es _" comicbooks.com