A wretch had crept into his bosom! A viper had hidden
herself at his fireside! Where could words be found to brand her with
the infamy she deserved? He stopped, with a suffocating sense in him of
his own impotent rage--he stopped, and shook his fist tremulously in the
empty air.
Mrs. Lecount interfered with an energy and a resolution inspired by
serious alarm. After the heavy strain that had been laid on his weakness
already, such an outbreak of passionate agitation as was now bursting
from him might be the destruction of his rest that night and of his
strength to travel the next day. With infinite difficulty, with endless
promises to return to the subject, and to advise him about it in the
morning, she prevailed on him, at last, to go upstairs and compose
himself for the night. She gave him her arm to assist him. On the way
upstairs his attention, to her great relief, became suddenly absorbed
by a new fancy. He remembered a certain warm and comfortable mixture of
wine, eggs, sugar, and spices, which she had often been accustomed to
make for him in former times, and which he thought he should relish
exceedingly before he went to bed. Mrs. Lecount helped him on with his
dressing-gown--then went down-stairs again to make his warm drink for
him at the parlor fire.
Pages:
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962