United States or Bouvet Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It was in the little inn parlor that he first encountered Theodora North, when she arrived, and on seeing her he gazed over his spectacles, first at herself, and then at the respectable Splaighton, in a maze of bewilderment, at seemingly having made so strange a blunder. "Lady Throckmorton?" he said, at last, in English, or in a broken attempt at it. "Oh! Oui I understand. The sister of monsieur?
I brought Splaighton with me." "You had no right to come at all," said Pam, trying to speak with asperity, and failing miserably. "Mr. Oglethorpe is nothing to you. They should have sent for Miss Gower at once."
"Ma'mselle, you forget the imprudence " But Theo stopped her, quite ignorant of the fact, that by doing so, she forfeited her reputation in Splaighton's eyes forever. "He is going to die!" she said, with a wild little sob in her voice. "And he is all alone-and and he was to have been married, Splaighton, in July only a few months from now. Oh, poor Priscilla Gower! Oh, poor girl! We must save him.
She must go to him herself in Lady Throckmorton's stead; she must take Splaighton with her, and go try to take care of him until Lady Throckmorton came, or could send for Priscilla Gower and Miss Elizabeth. "Ma'mselle," began the stricken Splaighton, when, as she stood before the erect young figure and desperate young face, this desperate plan was hurriedly revealed to her.
In her inexperienced respect for her, she even apologized pathetically and appealingly for the liberty she was taking in calling upon her. "I am sorry to trouble you," she said, humbly, and feeling terribly homesick as she said it; "but I could not go alone, you know and I must go. There is a lace collar in that little box that you may have, Splaighton.
They had thought it better to acquaint Mad'moiselle." She took it from him, and opened it slowly and mechanically. She read it mechanically also read it twice before she comprehended its full meaning, so great was the shock it gave her. Then she started from her seat with a cry that made the servant start also. "Send Splaighton to me," she said, "this minute, without a moment's delay."
A low, wild cry broke from the pale lips of the figure in the door-way, and the next instant Theodora North had flown to the bedside and dropped upon her knees by it, hiding her deathly-stricken young face upon her lover's lifeless hand, forgetting Splaighton, forgetting the doctor, forgetting even Priscilla Gower, forgetting all but that she, in this moment, knew that she could not give him up, even to the undivided quiet of death.
We went to the opera last night, and saw Faust again. You remember my telling you about going to see Faust in London the first time I wore the rose-pink satin. I wore the same dress last night, and Lady Throckmorton lent me some of her diamonds, and made Splaighton puff my hair in a new way. Splaighton is my maid, and I don't know what to do with her sometimes, Pamela.
She had hardly time to turn round, before there was a summons at the door, and without waiting to be answered, Splaighton entered, looking at once decorous and injured. They asked for Miss North." Theo looked at the woman, and turned pale.
She would not comprehend what it meant; so, while Splaighton packed up a few necessary articles, Theo superintended her, following her from place to place, with a longing impatience that showed itself in every word and gesture. She did not dare to do more, poor child. She had never overcome her secret awe of her waiting-woman.
Word Of The Day