FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>  
oper figure of a man; but starvation and ill usage have worn him to a shadow!" Aye, but a shadow with a gnawing sorrow at its heart. "You may taunt me, Senor de Melinza," whispered the broken voice, "you may taunt me with my helplessness. I may not break these bonds, it is true; but neither can you sever those that bind to me the love of a true-hearted English maid.... That is a foul lie, Don Pedro, and I cast it back into your teeth!... Strike a helpless prisoner? Do so, and you add but another black deed to the long score that stands against the name of Spaniard. Some day the reckoning will come, senor--I dare stake my soul on that!... I'll not believe it; no! not upon your oath, Don Pedro!... Margaret, Margaret! Tell him he lies, dear lady!... In God's name, speak, sweetheart!" And though I knelt beside him, and called his name again and again, he was deaf to my voice and put me by with feeble hands, crying ever: "Margaret! Margaret!" till I thought my heart would break. Oh! the terror of this new jailer--dread Disease--that held him in its grip while Death lurked grimly in the background! For no wiles or blandishments of mine could move them or loose their hold upon the life most dear to me. When there was but man to deal with, my faith failed me and I ceased praying; now it was my punishment that only God's mercy could set my dear love free,--and it might be his pleasure to loose him in another world and leave me still on earth to mourn his loss. As, hour after hour, I listened to his ravings, a deeper understanding of the horrors of his long captivity began to grow upon me. I could scarce forbear crying out when I thought how I had touched the hand of that vile Spaniard, and listened, smiling, when he spoke of love to me. How terrible a thing is hatred! Heaven pardon me, but I think there is somewhat of it in my heart. Yet, now that the fever is abating, and my beloved is coming back to me from the very brink of the grave, I do pray that I may forgive mine enemy, even as God in His clemency has pardoned me! * * * * * He knows me at last. It was some hours ago. I was bending over him, and a light of recognition dawned in his eyes. "Margaret! _Margaret!_ is it _you_? I dreamed just now----that----that you were untrue to me!" "Did you so, dear love?" I answered. "Forget it then, and rest; for now the fever and the dreams are past." He smiled at me and fell asleep l
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>  



Top keywords:

Margaret

 

listened

 

Spaniard

 
thought
 

shadow

 

crying

 

scarce

 
forbear
 
touched
 

smiling


punishment

 

failed

 
ceased
 

praying

 

pleasure

 

deeper

 

ravings

 

understanding

 

horrors

 

captivity


dawned

 

dreamed

 

recognition

 
bending
 

untrue

 

smiled

 

asleep

 

dreams

 

Forget

 
answered

abating

 

beloved

 

coming

 

terrible

 

hatred

 

Heaven

 
pardon
 
clemency
 
pardoned
 
forgive

terror

 
Strike
 

helpless

 

prisoner

 

English

 
reckoning
 

stands

 

hearted

 
gnawing
 
sorrow