Weaker than a Woman — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

& a WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 79 consciousness that they were all talking about her as she entered, for they stopped suddenly, and looked at her cu- riously. But Lady Rolfe introduced her, and they were so startled by her striking beauty that they were more than civil to her. Sir Owen almost followed her into the room. How his eyes brightened as he saw her! “For a girl like that to marry a country solicitor, to hide such beauty as hers in a place like Lilford, is simple mad- ness,” he said to himseif. “She will thank me in after — years for saving her from such a fate.” | Then he went up to her, and scarcely left her all the evening. It was against the laws of etiquette for him to take her down to dinner; but Lady Rolfe accepted his apol- ogy withasmile. That astute lady had explained the mo- tives of her policy to Lavinia. *T understand Sir Owen,” she said. “If any one opposes him he will lose his reason over the girl. Place no obstacle in the way of his admiration, and he will soon tire of her. He cannot marry her, for she is engaged to Felix Lons- dale.” So, with great amiability, Lady Rolfe had accepted Sir ~Owen/’s invitation to act as hostess for three or four days. She had determined that she would give him every oppor- tunity of being with Violet, on the principle that the more he saw of her the sooner he would tire of her. Sir Owen took her down to dinner, and sat by her side. Violet was dazed with wonder. She saw the superb gold and silver plate, the magnificent epergnes, the rare flowers, the costly wines, and richly cut glass. She felt half afraid of the well-trained butler and his noiseless assistants—it was all a scene of splendor and magnificence, that dazed and be- wildered her. : Sir Owen gave her little time to think, and every one took their cue from him—visitors and servants. Violet was . queen of the evening. She concealed her trepidation, and earefully watching Lady Rolfe, she imitated her exactly. Then, when the ladies withdrew, she was the center of ob- servation—her exquisite beauty, her dainty dress, the at- tention paid to her by Sir Owen, made her the most impor- tant person present. Sir Owen did not long delay entering the drawing-room ; and then he selected a luxurious chair, and enthroned. her. He found her a footstool; he waited upon her as though she had been a princess and he a page; he never left her; and she, looking at the splendor which surrounded her—look- ing at the wealth, the magnificence—wondered that she PE aS ORS cee comicbooks