Her Faithful Knight — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

174 For Phyllis’ Sake. rather immoral, that “Mr. Darcy,” the author and man- ager, was the late Lord Derrick’s second son, and that Miss Knight, his leading lady, was a singularly beautiful woman. Mr. Derrick had been dining with some friends, and came on with them afterward to a box, arriving half- way through the performance. His friends, all of the male sex, were enthusiastic in their appreciation of Doro- thy’s good looks, and during the third act the Hon. Darcy, moved by love, excitement and champagne, left his’ box, and, going round to the stage, watched his lady love with enraptured eyes from the wings. When Zara Carewe’s last exit arrived, Dorothy made her way toward her dressing-room, carefully drawing her long, tight gloves off her arms, which were too fair to require the customary paint and powder. Suddenly, in the passage from which the dressing-room doors opened, she found herself seized in the grasp of a man who was closely following her, and who, pinioning her arms against her sides, pressed his hot lips on her bare shoulders. In a moment, by a sharp movement, she had freed her- self, and, tearing off the glove she was unfastening, had struck her manager with it full in the face. More than one member of the company witnessed the incident as they hurried to their rooms to change their costumes for the last act, and more than one heard, too, Dorothy’s exclamation in tones of unconcealed scorn and anger: “How dare you!” For, at Darcy’s kiss, into the girl’s heart there swept an uncontrollable feeling of repulsion and disgust. She could not even proceed with her stage toilette without washing and scrubbing her white shoulders until the skin was reddened and sore. She had begun rather to like Darcy Derrick, to be touched by his devotion, and to regard marriage with him as her possible fate at least with EOMmiIGcdoOo “S' (S@)