Weaker than a Woman — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

— WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 67 to me the words I love to hear—say, ‘Felix, I belong to you.’ Say it, Violet!” he added, with sudden passion. * Felix, I belong to you,” she whispered, and he was con- tent. He touched the lilac flowers with his hand. * Darling,” he said, “I shall love every lilac that blooms because it will remind me of this night and of you. See, there are dew-drops on your hair! You must not stay, Sweet; you must goin, Violet. You will repeat my name before you sleep to-night, and when you wake? You will say, “Helix—lI love Felix, and will be true to him.’ ” * Yes,” she answered. He touched the little golden chain that she wore round her neck. “I wish I were that chain. I wish I were this golden ring of hair that lies on your face. I wish—oh, Violet, I am mad with wishing—mad with longing. ButI love you so dearly.” 3 In another minute he was gone. The moon was shining, the dew lay upon the lilacs, and Violet stood alone, her heart beating as it had never beaten before. “After all, it is better to be loved than to be rich,” she thought—“ it is better to have love than riches. JI—I wish that I had always been kinder to Felix; but I did not think —I did not understand.” | She stood for some minutes while the western wind cooled the hot flush on her face, and she became calmer as she watched the pale light of the moon. “There is nothing like love,” she repeated; “and there never yet was any love like his for me.” If the girl’s father and mother suspected anything they made no.sign, they said no word, and Violet was grateful. It happened three days later that Felix, finding he had a leisure hour in the afternoon, went over to the Limes. He took with him a little bouquet of roses; they were the first choice ones that he had seen, and he knew that Violet loved roses. He found her at home, and he was received with civility, though not with warmth, by her parents. Violet was pleased with the roses. She praised them—she buried her face in them, and Felix wished with all his heart that he were one of them. While he sat there a box came from the Hall. Francis Haye was excited about it. It must be opened at once—he could not imagine what it contained. Felix offered to help, and his offer was eagerly accepted. The first thing they saw was a magnificent bouquet—such as had never been seen in Lilford—the conservatories must have been robbed Eomicbooks (e(@)