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The Evil Genius by Wilkie Collins
page 126 of 475 (26%)
addressed to her daughter on the day of Sydney's arrival at Mount
Morven. "The good qualities of that unfortunate young creature"
(she had 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 breakfast with motherly familiarity.
Linley met them at the foot of the stairs. His mother-in-law
first stole a look at Sydney, and then shook hands with him
cordially. "My dear Herbert, how pale you are! That horrid
smoking. You look as if you had been up all night."



Mrs. Linley paid her customary visit to the schoolroom that
morning.

The necessary attention to her guests had left little leisure for
the exercise of observation at the breakfast-table; the one
circumstance which had forced itself on her notice 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 entirely at ease. The most
unsuspicious woman living, his wife was simply amused "How he
does enjoy society!" she thought. "Herbert will be a young man to
the end of his life."

In the best possible spirits--still animated by her successful
exertions to entertain her friends--Mrs. Linley opened the
schoolroom door briskly. "How are the lessons getting on?" she
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