Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-01-09
The Evil Genius.
A DOMESTIC STORY.
BY WILkIE COLLINS.
BEFORE THE STORY.
THkpTEI, XN\I.

CHATTER XNNI.
OF the friends 1ul n"iglIhorS who had as
sari3t u VITA Herbert linley i'll bygone days ,
not more than two ar three kept up ther III
timacv with him nj the later time OF his dis /
grace. Those few il is needless 10 say, were /
men.
One Of the faithful companions who had
not shrunk from him yet had just left the
London hotel at which Ln!ev had taken
rooms for Sydney Wcsterlleld and himself
in the Fame of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert. This
Old friend had been shocked by the change
for the worse which he perceived in the fugi-
tive master of Mount Morven. Linley's stout
figure of former times had fallen away as II
he had suffered under long Illness; his
healthy color had faded; he made an effort
IL assume the hearty manner that had once
been natural Ia him, which was simply pitt
able to Sec After sacrificing all that makes
life truly decent and truly enjoyable for
woman, he has got nothing. not even false
happiness, in return With that dreary
conclusion that retiring visitor descended
the hotel steps and went his way along the
street.
Linley returned to the newspaper which
he had been reading wien his friend was
shown into the room.
Line by line he followed the progress Of
the law report. which informed its thousands
of readers that his wife had divorced him
and had taken lawful possession of his child.
Word by word he dwelt with morbid atten-
ton on the terms of crushing severity in
which the lord president had spoken of Sgd
ney Westerfield and of himself. Sentence
by sentence he read the rcprOOf inflicted on
the unhappy woman whom he had vowed
to love and cherish. And then-even then
urged by his own self-tOrmenting suspicion,
he looked for more. On the opposite page
there was leading article, presenting COM
ments on the trial, written in a tone of lofty
and virtuous regret, taking the wife's side
against the judge, but declaring, at the same
time, that no condemnation of the conduct
of the husband and the gOverness could be
too merciless. and no misery that might over
take them in the future more than they had
deserved.
lie threw the newspaper on the table at
his side and thought over what he had read.
Hhe had done nothing else, he had drained
the bitter cup to the dregs. When he looked
back he saw nothing but the life that he had
wasted. When his thoughts turned to the
future they confronted prospect empty Of
all promise to man still in the prime of life.
Wife and child were as completely lost to
him as if they had been dead-and it was
the wife's doing Had he any right to COM
plain? Not the shadow Of a right. AS the
newspapers said, he had deserved it.
The clock reused him, striking the hour.
He rose hurriedly and advanced toward
the window. AS he crossed the room he
passed by mirror. His own sullen despair
looked at him in the reflection of his face.
''She will be back directly, "he remembered;
''she mustn't see me like thisv' He went on
to the window to divert his mind land so to
clear his face) by watching the stream of life
flowing by in the busy street Artificial
cheerfulneSs, assumed love in Sydney's pres
ence-that was what his life had come to al
ready.
If he had known that she had gone out,
seeking temporary separation, with his
fear of self-betrayal-if he had suspected
that she too had thoughts which must be con-
cealed-sad forebodings of losing her hold
on his heart, terrifying suspicious that he
was already comparing her, to her own dis
advantage, with the wife whom he had de-
serted-if he had made these discoveries
what would the end have been? But she
had thus far escaped the danger Of exciting
his distrust. That she loved him he knew.
That she had begun to doubt his attachment
to her he would not have believed If his old
est friend had declared it on the best evil
dence. She had said to him that morning,
at breakfast: There was a good woman,
who used to let lodgings here in London,
and who was very kind to me when was
child" and she had asked leave to go to the
nd hot fr;o
was still living-with nothing visibly con-
strained In her smile, and with no faltering
tone in her voice. 1t was not until she was
out in the street that the telltale tears came
into her eyes, and the bitter sigh broke from
her and mingled its little unheard misery
with the grand rise and fall of the tumult Of
London life. While he was still at the win
dow he saw her crossing the street on her
way back to him. She came into the room
with her complexion heightened by exercise;
she kissed him, and said, with her pretty
smile: "Have you been lonely without me?'
Who would have supposed that the torment
of distrust and the dread Of desertiOn were
busy at this woman's heart?
He placed o chair for her, and, seating
himself by her side, asked il she felt tired.
Every attention that she could wish for from
the man whom she loved, was offered with
every appearance Of sincerity on the surface!
She met him half way and answered as if her
onind was quite at ease.
mo, dear, I'm not tired-but I'm glad to
get back"
ibid you find your old landlady still
alive?"
"Yes. But oh, so altered. poor thingl The
struggle for life must have been hard ono
since / last saw her."
''She didn't recognize you, of courser'
'Ohl no. She looked at me and my dress
in great surprise, and said her lodgings were
hardly fit for a young lady like me. 1t was
too sad. l said l had known her lodgings
well, many years ag0-and, with that to pre-
pare her, told her who was All, it was
a melancholy meeting for both Of us. She
burst out crying when / kissed her, and I
had to tell her that my mother was dead and
my brother lost to me In spite of every effort
to find him. l asked to 60 into the kitchen,
thinking the change would be relief to both
of us. The kitchen used to be . paradise to
me in those old days; 1t was 30 warm to .
haif-starved child-and l always got some
thing to eat when was there. You have no
idea, Herbert, how poor and how empty the
place looked to me now. was glad to get
out of it and 60 upstairs. There wos lum-
ber-r0Om at the top Of the house; used to
play in it, all by myself. More changes met
me the moment opened the door,"
Changes for the better?'
my dear, it couldn't have changed for the
worsei My dirty old play-room was cleaned
and repaired, the lumber taken away, end
nice little bed In one corner. Some clerk I'm
the city had taken the room-I shouldn't
have known it again. But there was anOth-
er surprise waiting for me; happy surprise
this time. In clearing out the garrett what
do you think the landlady found? Try to
guess"
Anything to please her! Anything to
make her think that he was as fond Of her
as everl WAS 1t something you had left
behind you" he said, "at the time when you
lodged there?'
''Yesl you are right at the first guess-a
little memorial Of my father. Only some
torn, crumpled leaves from book Of chill
dren's songs that he used to teach me to sing;
and a small packet Of his letters, which my
mother may have thrown aside and forgot
ten. See! have brought them back with
me; mean to look over the letters at once
but this doesn't interest YOU"
Indeed it does"
He made that considerable reply mechan.
ically, as if he was thinking Of something
Else. She was afraid to tell him plainly that
she saw this; but she could venture to say
that he was not looking WELL Il have no
ticed 1t for some time past" she confessed.
"YOu have been accustomed to live in the
country; am afraid London doesn't agree
with YOU"
He admitted that she might be right; still
cDoo EiuU ahsapflv cfill fhiukip0 Of tho ii