FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  
on?" "Your supposition is true, my name is Mandeville. But you have not answered my question yet." "Pardon me, fair lady, for my seeming rude neglect. Yes, I know Mr. Hadley well, and a better man does not live. He is my near and dear friend." "Do you say so much? Then it is from him you have a message?" "It is." "Oh! tell me, is he well?" "He is, but is longing to hear from you, to see you, to know that you are still spared by the hand of death." "You speak as though he were near. Is it indeed so?" "It is, fair lady; he awaits your presence, or such word as you may be pleased to send him, a short way from here, in the denser portion of the forest, not wishing to transgress your father's commands contrary to your wishes, or to expose himself to the displeasure of your parent, lest it bring trouble and disquiet to your own heart. But please read the note he commissioned me to bear to you; it probably explains the matter better than I can, as he only confided to me such facts as were essentially necessary for me to know, in order to an intelligent performance of the part he has allotted to me as his friend." Saying this he presented a letter, which Eveline received with a joy-beaming countenance, and read with a wildly-throbbing heart. It ran as follows: "DEAREST EVELINE: For some weeks past, I have been in a distant city, at the urgent call of duty, to attend the bedside of a sick mother. I left while you were yet very ill, and bore with me the heavy fear that you might never recover to bless me with a kind word or gentle look. So terrible has been the suspense, and so deep the anxiety of mind under which my spirit has labored, I could only perform my duties to a beloved mother by resolutely bending my energies to the task, and with the first hour of assured convalescence hastened to learn your fate. Oh, best beloved, may I not hope to see you again? I have learned that you are better, and the first great burden is removed, but I so long to behold you once more,--to hear you speak--to know that I am not forgotten. But you know I dare not come to you without incurring your father's deep displeasure; and I have been in doubt and perplexity how to act. This note will be borne to you by my most confidential friend, who will not betray us. If you can come to me, even if it be but for a few brief moments, I beseech you to do so; but do in this matter as your own better judgment shall determine. If you cann
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
friend
 

beloved

 

matter

 
father
 
displeasure
 
mother
 

attend

 

spirit

 

labored

 

perform


distant
 
urgent
 

duties

 

anxiety

 

bedside

 

terrible

 

recover

 

gentle

 

suspense

 

removed


confidential
 

incurring

 

perplexity

 
betray
 

judgment

 
determine
 
beseech
 

moments

 

hastened

 

convalescence


assured

 

bending

 
energies
 
forgotten
 

behold

 
learned
 

burden

 

resolutely

 

spared

 

message


longing

 

awaits

 
denser
 

portion

 
forest
 
presence
 

pleased

 

answered

 
question
 

Pardon