FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
. He waited for a while, his eyes so immovably fixed upon hers that she had a mild wonder if they were lidless--as the eyes of a serpent. Then at last, through grim pale lips that did not seem to move, he spoke again. "Madam, it lies with you whether Guy Ranger lives or dies. You can open to him the earthly paradise or you can hurl him back to hell. I have only Drought him a little way. I cannot keep him. Even now, he is slipping--he is slipping from my hold. It is you, and you alone, who can save him. How do I know this thing? How do I know that the sun rises in the east? I--have--seen. It is you who have taken from him the desire to live--perhaps unintentionally; that I do not know. It is you--and you alone--who can restore it. Need I say more than this to open your eyes? Perhaps they are already open. Perhaps already your heart has been in communion with his. If so, then you know that I have told you the truth. If you really desire to save him--and I think you do--then everything else in life must go to that end. Women were made for sacrifice, they say." A sardonic flicker that was scarcely a smile touched his face. "Well, that is the only way of saving him. If you fail him, he will go under." He got up with the words. He had evidently said his say. As his hand left hers, Sylvia drew a deep hard breath, as of one emerging from a suffocating atmosphere. She had never felt so oppressed, so fettered, with evil in the whole of her life. And yet he had not urged her to any line of action. He had merely somewhat baldly, wholly dispassionately, told her the truth, and the very absence of emotion with which he had spoken had driven conviction to her soul. She saw him go with relief, but his words remained like a stone at the bottom of her heart. CHAPTER XI THE REMEDY When Sylvia went to Guy a little later, she found him installed in Burke's room. Burke himself was out on the farm, but it was past the usual hour for luncheon, and she knew he would be returning soon. Kieff rose up noiselessly from the bedside at her entrance, and she saw that Guy was asleep. She was conscious of a surging, passionate longing to be alone with him as she crept forward. The silent presence of this stranger had a curious, nauseating effect upon her. She suppressed a shudder as she passed him. He stood behind her in utter immobility as she bent over the bed. Guy was lying very still, but though
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Perhaps
 

slipping

 

desire

 

Sylvia

 

conviction

 
driven
 
CHAPTER
 

oppressed

 
fettered
 

REMEDY


bottom

 

dispassionately

 
wholly
 

absence

 
remained
 

emotion

 
baldly
 
relief
 

spoken

 

action


curious

 

stranger

 

nauseating

 

effect

 

suppressed

 

presence

 

silent

 

longing

 

forward

 

shudder


passed

 
immobility
 

passionate

 

surging

 

installed

 
luncheon
 

bedside

 
entrance
 

asleep

 
conscious

noiselessly
 

returning

 
Drought
 
paradise
 

earthly

 

Ranger

 
lidless
 

serpent

 
waited
 

immovably