Weaker than a Woman — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

4 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. Sir Owen laughed a loud, hearty laugh that was music to the ears of Francis Haye and his wife. ‘IT have a reason,” he replied, “and a very serious one; I will speak to you about it later on.” She could not imagine to what he alluded, and Mrs. Haye listened in silence. Sir Owen showed her a list of-names. “IT thought of sending invitations to these people,” he said. “If there are any among them you do not like, eee them out; if there are any you wish to ask, add them.” She read the long list of names, and then produced her little pencil-case; she added two more—those of Evelyn Lester and Felix Lonsdale. “That is her lover,” thought Sir Owen, as he looked re- fiectively at them. “Well, he may come—it will save trouble. When he sees all that he will see, he will be taught a lesson.” Violet was more pleased and contented when he smiled. She did not know why she felt so greatly relieved. Then Sir Owen rose to take his leave; he was going to London that evening, he said, and it would be some days before he would see them again. He asked Violet to go with him to the garden gate; and again, when Mrs. Haye saw the peculiar expression on her -husband’s face, she whispered : “Not one word, Francis Haye, not one word, or you weil spoil it all,” and he obediently held his peace. | They saw a look of perplexity on Violet’s beautiful face | all that day, and she had lost her animation. She fell into long fits of musing; she was unlike herself; but no word from father or mother helped her in her difficulty, or solved her doubts. Felix had been quite pleased about his invitation; he smiled, and thought to himself how foolish he had been. What could be more natural than that Sir Owen should admire his beautiful Violet? He could not help it; he told himself that he had been unreasonably jealous, that here was a proof of it. If Sir Owen had entertained any false, dishonorable notion of supplanting him in Violet’s affec- tions, here was a proof that he had changed his mind. Another and more generous idea still came to him—namely that Sir Owen had not known at first that Violet was en: — gaged, and hence had admired her; but, that, now that he did know it, he had changed his ideas. xa comic