FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  
parchment, rolled up and fixed by a knot to the centre of a narrow fillet. They exactly resembled the philacteries that were once worn by the Jewish nation, and were similarly applied. One of them she gently bound upon the forehead of her husband, and the other upon his left arm. She threw perfumes into the brazier, and as the form of her husband was becoming indistinct from the smoke which filled the room, she muttered a few sentences, waved over him a small sprig of some shrub which she held in her white hand, and then closing the curtains, and removing the brazier she sat down by the side of the bed. "If there be harm," thought Amine, "at least the deed is not his--'tis mine; they cannot say that he has practised arts that are unlawful and forbidden by his priests. On my head be it!" And there was a contemptuous curl on Amine's beautiful arched lip, which did not say much for her devotion to her new creed. Morning dawned, and Philip still slumbered. "'Tis enough," said Amine, who had been watching the rising of the sun, as she beheld his upper limb appear above the horizon. Again she waved her arm over Philip, holding the sprig in her hand; and cried, "Philip, awake!" Philip started up, opened his eyes, and shut them again to avoid the glare of the broad daylight, rested upon his elbow, and appeared to be collecting his thoughts. "Where am I?" exclaimed he. "In my own bed? Yes!" He passed his hand across his forehead, and felt the scroll. "What is this?" continued he, pulling it off, and examining it. "And Amine, where is she? Good Heavens, what a dream! Another?" cried he, perceiving the scroll tied to his arm. "I see it now. Amine, this is your doing." And Philip threw himself down, and buried his face in the pillow. Amine, in the meantime, had slipped into bed, and had taken her place by Philip's side. "Sleep, Philip, dear! sleep!" said she, putting her arms round him; "we will talk when we wake again." "Are you there, Amine?" replied Philip, confused. "I thought I was alone; I have dreamed--" And Philip again was fast asleep before he could complete his sentence. Amine, too, tired with watching, slumbered and was happy. Father Mathias had to wait a long while for his breakfast that morning; it was not till two hours later than usual that Philip and Amine made their appearance. "Welcome, my children," said he; "you are late." "We are, Father," replied Amine; "for Philip slept, and I watched ti
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Philip
 

slumbered

 

replied

 

Father

 

thought

 
forehead
 
husband
 

watching

 
scroll
 

brazier


buried

 

daylight

 
perceiving
 

pulling

 
passed
 

exclaimed

 
collecting
 
thoughts
 

Heavens

 

examining


rested

 

continued

 

appeared

 

Another

 

morning

 

breakfast

 

Mathias

 

watched

 

children

 

Welcome


appearance

 
sentence
 

putting

 

meantime

 

slipped

 
asleep
 

complete

 
dreamed
 

confused

 
pillow

muttered
 

sentences

 
filled
 
indistinct
 

removing

 

curtains

 
closing
 

perfumes

 
fillet
 

resembled