United States or Dominica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I believe you, Mr. Derrington. In the morning I will send for you. Good night." Then I followed the prince from the room and was presently conducted to an apartment which evidently had been designed for me; at least I so decided when I had an opportunity to examine it and to familiarize myself with all that it contained.
Presently she returned and came back to where I was standing. "It is strange, is it not, Mr. Derrington?" she asked in a low voice. "I do not think that I am myself to-day. It is hard to realize that this is Zara de Echeveria who speaks to you now. I am like another person; it is as though another spirit had entered my body, and I seem to act without a will of my own.
For our paths, henceforth, will lead us widely apart, Derrington. You are a free agent, the arbiter of your own destiny; I am one who can take no initiative regarding the paths I must tread. But this letter is not to speak of myself, but is to tell you about her, if, perchance, when you read these words, you have never met.
"Yet another vanished chapel, of which I have even less to tell you. On the right-hand side of the railway line running towards Stafford, a little beyond Stallbrook Crossing, there is a field known as Chapel Field. But there is nothing but the name left. In 1847 my father built a beautiful little church at Derrington, in the Geometrical Decorated style, but not on the Chapel Field.
You can repay all you owe me, and more, if you will still be my friend, and forget that this scene has occurred; and when you have done that, I will tell you that Zara de Echeveria is to be the wife of Daniel Derrington; is to leave Russia forever with her husband, and were she the worst nihilist in the empire and I know that she is not she will be far away from any temptation to do you harm, and under the guidance of one who has proven his devotion to you.
"This is glorious news to awaken to glorious! I cannot repay you the debt I owe you, Derrington." "Now that you have heard the good news, can you bear to hear some that is not so good, monsieur?" "What! Is there bad news also?" "Necessarily, there must have been some fatalities." "Ah! Some one was killed? Some friend of mine?" "Yes. Some one has killed himself." "Durnief?" "No. He is a prisoner."
"Read," he said, and I read. My Friend, In death, qualities of rank cease, hence I address you as I have always felt towards you as my friend. Derrington was right; he told the truth, and I lied. I am not now and have never been a nihilist in spirit, but it is true that I am one in fact. I joined them in a moment of folly, to protect a friend whom I knew to be one.
"Since then it has been constantly in my mind, and at last I decided to act upon it." "That does not answer my question, Mr. Derrington." "The idea first came to me through an old friend; one whom I used to know here, in this country; one who afforded me very great assistance when I was here three years ago on a secret mission for my government." "What is his name?" "I have forgotten it."
My plans have been formulated with care, and I can go into minute details whenever I am directed to do so." "Modesty is not one of your accomplishments, Mr. Derrington." "Possibly not; but thorough familiarity with the work I would do is one.
Derrington, these written words are to make you and Zara de Echeveria known to each other. Months will pass, and many of them may do so, before you will read what is written here; and it may be, it likely will be, that you are standing side by side when you break the seal of the last communication, written or oral, which I shall probably ever submit to you.
Word Of The Day