FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  
am could not decide; and, in truth, he had uttered his little speech with an air of dignity and resignation that half imposed upon the younger man, and impressed him, in spite of his better judgment. An heroic soul going forth with an unfeigned stoicism to meet its fate? Or an unhappy man, striving to hide a shivering consciousness from himself and others, with an assumption of philosophical scepticism? Ah! who was Graham, that he should judge or weigh the secrets of another man's heart at such an hour as this? He left the bedside, and went back once more to his writing. A few minutes afterwards, Madame Lavaux knocked softly, and looked into the room. Graham went out into the passage to speak to her, closing the door after him. "How is he now, the poor Monsieur?" asks Madame. "He is sleeping now," Graham answered; "there is nothing to be done but to keep him as quiet as possible." "And will he recover, do you think?" "Hardly. One must always hope; but he is very ill." "Ah! well," said the landlady, resigning herself; "but, after all," she added, "it is sad to see a man die like that; and then there is the child. Otherwise the world will be none the worse for wanting him. But what is to become of the little girl?" "That is all arranged," replied Graham, "she is to go to an aunt, a sister of her father's, who, it appears, is Superior of a convent near Liege. But can you tell me, Madame, had Madame Linders quarrelled with her English relations? When she was dying alone here, had she no friends of her own that she could have sent for to be with her?" "She would not have them, Monsieur; you see, she was devoted to her husband in spite of all, this poor Madame, and _he_ had quarrelled with her relations, I believe; at any rate, she would not send for them. 'Adolphe will come,' she would always say, 'and it would vex him to find anyone here,' and so she died alone, for he never arrived till the next morning. However," continues Madame, "it was not of that I came to speak now, it was to know if Monsieur would not wish to have a nurse to-night to attend the poor gentleman? It is what we must have had if you had not been here, and there is no reason why you should knock yourself up with nursing him." "It certainly might be better," said Graham considering, "I had thought of it, but--however, you are quite right, Madame, a nurse we will have; where can I get one?" Madame said he had better apply to the So
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Madame

 

Graham

 

Monsieur

 

relations

 

quarrelled

 

Superior

 

convent

 

wanting

 
Linders
 

sister


English

 

father

 
appears
 
arranged
 

replied

 

nursing

 

reason

 

attend

 

gentleman

 

thought


Adolphe
 

husband

 

devoted

 
morning
 

However

 

continues

 

arrived

 

friends

 

recover

 

consciousness


shivering

 

unhappy

 

striving

 
assumption
 

philosophical

 
secrets
 

scepticism

 
dignity
 
resignation
 

imposed


speech
 

decide

 
uttered
 

younger

 

unfeigned

 

stoicism

 

heroic

 

impressed

 
judgment
 

bedside