The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

neighbors of the Linleys at dinner on their arrival. The time for this yearly festival had now come round again; the guests were in the house; and Mr. and Mrs. Linley were occupied in mak

aid to her husband; "Miss Westerfield had

inley answered wi

oubt about it,

only wo

ing abo

ot a gown, Catherine, t

evidence of her own senses. "Fancy a man thinking

it-unless it is that she wears the same dress every day.

ment which you have never paid to me! Wear what

erine, I know that you a

ow," she resumed, with her gentle smile, "that you only remind me of what I had thought o

you j

"Suggested by Kitty," she added, pointing to an inlaid miniature portrait of the child. Herbert read the inscription: To Sydney Westerfiel

r-party marked an ep

dress; she practiced shaking hands gracefully, with her bracelet well in view. Suddenly she stood still before the glass and became serious and thoughtful. Kind and dear Mr. Linley was in her mind now. While she was asking herself anxiously what he would think of her, Kitty-arrayed in her new finery, as vain and as happy as her governess-drummed with both fists outside the door, and announced at the top of her voice that it was time to go downstairs. Sydney's agitation at the prospect of meeting the ladies in the drawing-room added a charm of its own to the flush that her exercises before the glass had left on her face. Shyly following instead of leading her little companion into the room, she presented such a charming appearance of youth and beauty that the

inly did notice

as if to approach her, checked himself, and went back again among his guests. Now, in one part of the room, and now in another, she saw him speaking to them. The one neglected person

you are losing your pretty color. Are you overcome

ess. Her commonplace excuse was a true excuse-she had

rections to one of the servants, and was re-entering the drawing-room. She stopped, trembling an

ous respect, and keeping her eyes on the ground. "I hope-" she hesitated, a

as he was now. His eyes, wandering round the room, rested on Mrs. Linley-brilliant and beautiful, and laughing gayly. Why was he looking at his wife with

-on the one occasion of all others when she w

u have misunderstood and mistaken me. Don't suppose-pray don't

ntion which those words rev

way from her. She noticed that his lips were firmly closed and his eyebrows knitted in a frown; he

t the room

The facts were there to speak for themselves: he was an altered man; anxiety, sorrow, remorse-one or the other seemed to have g

eless question! And yet, again and aga

ngered on the way to her room, an

er to pause and admire it. A prospect of sleepless misery was the one prospect before her that Sydney could see, if she retired to rest. The cool night air came freshly up the vaulted tunnel in which the steps were set; the moonlit garden offered its solace to the girl's sore heart. No curious wom