FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
o look upon the forest flowers; more especially upon the encarmined blossom of the bignonia--now to me a symbol of the sweetest sentiment. The one most prized of all, I had carefully preserved. In a glass I had placed it, on the dressing-table of my chamber, with its peduncle immersed in water. My zealous care only procured me a chagrin. On returning from one of my rambles, I found the flower upon the floor, crushed by some spiteful heel? Was it thy heel, Caroline Kipp? In its place was a bunch of hideous gilly-flowers and yellow daffodils, of the dimensions of a drum-head cabbage--placed there either to mock my regard, or elicit my admiration! In either case, I resolved upon a _revanche_. By its wound, the bignonia smelt sweeter than ever; and though I could not restore the pretty blossom to its graceful campanulate shape, from that time forward it appeared in my buttonhole--to the slight torture, I fancied, of the backwoods coquette. In the two days during which I was denied sight of her my love for Lilian Holt was fast ripening into a passion--which absence only seemed to amplify. No doubt the contrast of common faces--such as those I observed in Swampville--did something towards heightening my admiration. There was another contrast that had at this time an influence on my heart's inclinings. To an eye, fatigued with dwelling long and continuously on the dark complexions of the south--the olivine hue of Aztec and Iberian skins--there was a relief in the radiance of this carmined blonde, that, apart from her absolute loveliness, was piquant from the novelty and rareness of the characteristic. Additional elements of attraction may have been: the _mise en scene_ that surrounded her; the unexpected discovery of such a precious jewel in so rude a casket; the romantic incident of our first encounter; and the equally peculiar circumstances attending our second and last interview. All these may have combined in weaving around my spirit a spell, that now embraced, and was likely to influence, every act of my future existence. Therefore, on the morning of the third day, as I mounted my horse, and turned his head in the direction of Holt's clearing, it was not with any design of dispossessing the squatter. Occupied with sweet love-dreams, I had as yet given no thought to the ruder realities of life. I had formed no plan for colonising--neither towards entering upon possession, nor extending the "improvement" I h
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
contrast
 

influence

 

flowers

 

blossom

 

bignonia

 
admiration
 
Additional
 

elements

 
attraction
 

surrounded


characteristic

 

unexpected

 
discovery
 

precious

 
Iberian
 

continuously

 
complexions
 
olivine
 

dwelling

 

inclinings


fatigued

 

absolute

 

loveliness

 

piquant

 

novelty

 

blonde

 

carmined

 

relief

 

radiance

 

rareness


Occupied

 
squatter
 

dreams

 

dispossessing

 

design

 
turned
 

direction

 
clearing
 

thought

 
possession

extending
 

improvement

 
entering
 
realities
 

formed

 

colonising

 
mounted
 

attending

 
interview
 

combined