The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

Nature. Time and Sleep together-powerful agents in the small hours of the morning-had got the better of Mrs. Presty's re

tch; and discovered that she had lost her opportunity. Other old women, under similar circumstances, might have felt discouraged. This old woman belie

in bed?" the old lady began, with a treacherous amiability of manner.

u look in,

us about you. I am anxious still. Were

in the garden,"

g the mo

ring the m

se?" Sydney's f

prevarication. "Why shou

said) "can not have always resisted the horrid temptations and contaminations about her. Hundreds of times she must have lied through ungovernable fear." Elevated a little higher than ever in her own estimation, Mrs. Presty took Sydney's arm, and led her down to br

ustomary visit to the

ice had been the boisterous gayety of her husband. Too essentially honest to practice deception of any kind cleverly, Linley had overacted the part of a man whose mind was e

her friends-Mrs. Linley opened the schoolroom door briskly. "How are the lessons gett

er eyes. "Look at Syd! She sulks; she cries

, I don't want the

Kitty. "She never scol

e strangely altered girl tore her hand away and burst into a violent fit of crying. Puzzled and frightened, Kitty (to the best of a child's ability) followed her example. Mrs. Linley took her daughter on her knee, and gave Sydney's outbreak of agitation time to su

you have had a bad ni

orse th

s ever, Mrs. Linley told her that she only wanted rest and quiet. "Let me take you to my room," she proposed. "We will have the sofa moved into the balcony, and you will so

lly: "I think I ought to be jealous." To her surprise, Sydney looked up as if the words had been addressed to herself "You mustn't be fonder, my dear, of your governess," Mrs. Linley went on, "than you are of your mother." She kissed the child, and, rising to go, discovered that Sydney had moved to another part of the room. She was standing at th

y were alone again; and Kitty was putting away her books

turned pale with terror at the dreadful prospect which those words presented. "There! there! I am only joking," Sydney said, shocked at the ef

the paddock, and feeding the cows. Sydney readily consented. Any amusem

companion, running on before her, cried: "Here's papa!" Her first impulse was to draw back behind a tree, in the

for you everywhere,

d him. "Discovere

others easily. She sees a change in you that she doesn't understand-she asks if I have noticed it-and tha

he startled her. "Are you

an live who could

me. I have to control myself; I will try again. Oh, if y

e visitors remained in the house. "In a few days, Sydney, there will be no more need for th

her hands full of daisies

Her father's mind was preoccupied; he looked at her absently. The child's sense of her own importance was wounded: s

he penalty of forgetting. What

doll's per

we were satisf

king the person's voice: Mrs. Presty appeared among the trees, taking a walk in the park. Had s

hould certainly fall in love with her, if I had the advantage of being a man. You have no doubt remarked Herbert-I think I hear the bell; shall we go to lunch?-you have no doubt, I say, remarked what curiously opposite styles Catherine and Miss West

," Linley interposed. "Are you ever aware of it you

d her to the exercise of self-control as nothing had roused her yet. She ignored Mrs. Presty's irony with a composure worth

thing-seem to slip off me in a most remarkable manner. Poor Mr. Norman used to attribute it to my excellent digestion. My second husband would never hear of such an explanation as that. His high ideal of women shrank from allusions to stomachs. He used to speak so nicely (quoting some poet) of the sunshine of my breast. Vague, perhaps," said Mrs. Presty, modestly looking down at the ample prospect of a personal nature which presented itself below her throat,

y in ignorant admiration. She pulled her father's coat-tail, and addressed he