Her Faithful Knight — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

104 Mr. Darcy’s Comedy Company. hope, honor, all destroyed “for one man’s pleasure ;” and Dorothy, being ~essentially feminine and unreasonable, froze her heart against Aylmer Read, because Sergius Trevelyan had been found wanting. “Men’s love is worth nothing at all,” she whispered to herself, angry at sight of her own blushes reflected in the looking-glass slips of the hansom. “Women are right who just marry for money or position, if they must marry at all. What men call love merely depends upon our good looks, and when those fade, is easily transferred to some younger and prettier woman. I am glad that there exist women, cruel, grasping, and clever, who can make men suffer. I cannot do that, but at least they shall never break my heart as they have broken my poor darling’s. It was contemptible of me even to think for a moment of saying good-by to Mr. Read, who would only have amused his colleagues at his office by telling them of the conquest he had made. But no man shall talk like that of me!” So Dorothy, aghast at her sister’s fate, argued down the promptings of her heart, and tried to persuade herself that her stalwart admirer was a gay Lothario, intent on subjugating the fair sex, and boasting of his triumphs. The opportunity of speaking to him passed, and her cab turned into the station. Here the chief members of Mr. Darcy’s “Love’s Right” Company were assembled, and directed curious glances toward Mr. Darcy’s leading lady as she stepped upon the platform. Among them Dorothy was glad to recognize the short, stout, yellow-faced man, reported inimitably funny, who had given her his chair at the agent’s office, who had been engaged at a high salary for this six weeks’ seaside tour between two London engagements. Mr. Marmaduke Strutt, as he elected to call himself, or “Old Marmalade,” as he was affecticnately termed by irrever- : COMMGCOIOOKXS (S@)