Her Faithful Knight — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

-_ 114 Mr. Darcy’s Comedy Company. as it tipped with silver the curled edges of the waves breaking on the beach. “Oh, ye who have your eyeballs vexed and tired, Feast them upon the wideness of the sea.” The words, uttered close behind her, and echoing strangely her own thoughts, made her start violently and turn to find Mr. Derrick a little way behind the bench upon which she was sitting. As she recognized him he threw away a cigarette he was smoking and came up to her. “Forgive me for breaking in on your reverie,” he said gently, “but I saw you from my hotel window pass down in this direction, and as you seemed to be a good deal an- noyed by the impertinence of seaside loafers, I ventured to follow at a humble distance as a self-constituted watch- dog for the time being.” She bent her head and answered with more than a touch of sarcasm in her tones: ~“T am much obliged to you, Mr. Derrick. But I am not accustomed to an escort.” “T hope you are not vexed with me?” he said anxiously. “Not at all. I must be getting back to my rooms now,” she said, beginning to rise from her seat. He de- tained her by an appealing gesture with his hand. “T shall think you are very angry with me if you let me drive you away like that,” he said. “I meant to guard you in silence, but Keats’ lines seemed so appropriate that they slipped out in spite of me. Sit here just for a few moments; I particularly want to speak to you about the part of Zara before you first read it at rehearsal to- morrow.” Somewhat unwillingly Dorothy resumed her seat.. The Hon. Darcy’s fine eyes were fixed worshipfully upon her profile as he, too, sat on the bench by the sea wall, and Eomichooks (S@)