FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   175   176   177   >>   >|  
till 'twas gone. Then she stood with her hands pressed upon her eyeballs and her brow, her thoughts moving in great leaps. Although it reeled, the brain which had worked for her ever, worked clear and strong, setting before her what was impending, arguing her case, showing her where dangers would arise, how she must provide against them, what she must defend and set at defiance. The power of will with which she had been endowed at birth, and which had but grown stronger by its exercise, was indeed to be compared to some great engine whose lever 'tis not nature should be placed in human hands; but on that lever her hand rested now, and to herself she vowed she would control it, since only thus might she be saved. The torture she had undergone for months, the warring of the evil past with the noble present, of that which was sweet and passionately loving woman with that which was all but devil, had strung her to a pitch so intense and high that on the falling of this unnatural and unforeseen blow she was left scarce a human thing. Looking back, she saw herself a creature doomed from birth; and here in one moment seemed to stand a force ranged in mad battle with the fate which had doomed her. "'Twas ordained that the blow should fall so," she said, "and those who did it laugh--laugh at me." 'Twas but a moment, and her sharp breathing became even and regular as though at her command; her face composed itself, and she turned to the bell and rang it as with imperious haste. When the lacquey entered, she was standing holding papers in her hand as if she had but just been consulting them. "Follow Sir John Oxon," she commanded. "Tell him I have forgot an important thing and beg him to return at once. Lose no time. He has but just left me and can scarce be out of sight." The fellow saw there was no time to lose. They all feared that imperial eye of hers and fled to obey its glances. Bowing, he turned, and hastened to do her bidding, fearing to admit that he had not seen the guest leave, because to do so would be to confess that he had been absent from his post, which was indeed the truth. She knew he would come back shortly, and thus he did, entering somewhat breathed by his haste. "My lady," he said, "I went quickly to the street, and indeed to the corner of it, but Sir John was not within sight." "Fool, you were not swift enough!" she said angrily. "Wait, you must go to his lodgings with a note. Th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   175   176   177   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
moment
 

turned

 

doomed

 
scarce
 

worked

 

pressed

 

return

 

important

 

feared

 

imperial


fellow

 
forgot
 

entered

 
standing
 
holding
 

papers

 

lacquey

 

imperious

 

moving

 

commanded


eyeballs

 

consulting

 

Follow

 

thoughts

 

quickly

 
street
 

corner

 

entering

 

breathed

 

lodgings


angrily

 

shortly

 
bidding
 

fearing

 

hastened

 

glances

 

Bowing

 

absent

 

confess

 

undergone


months
 
warring
 

torture

 

dangers

 

strung

 
loving
 

present

 
passionately
 
control
 

engine