登陆注册
15452000000168

第168章 CHAPTER XXXIX.(1)

The short interval previous to the wedding-day passed, to all appearance, as that period generally does. Settlements were drawn, and only awaited signature. The bride seemed occupied with dress, and receiving visits and presents, and reading and writing letters of that sort which ought to be done by machinery.

The bridegroom hovered about the house, running in and out on this or that pretext.

She received his presence graciously, read him the letters of her female friends, and forced herself to wear a look of languid complacency, especially before others.

Under all this routine she had paroxysms of secret misery, and he was in tortures.

These continued until the eve of the wedding, and then he breathed freely. No letter had come from the United States, and to-morrow was the wedding-day. The chances were six to one no letter came that day, and, even if one should, he had now an excuse ready for keeping Lally on the premises that particular morning. At one o'clock he would be flying south with his bride.

He left the villa to dress for dinner. During this interval Jael Dence called.

The housemaid knocked at Grace's door--she was dressing--and told her Jael wished to see her.

Grace was surprised, and much disturbed. It flashed on her in a moment that this true and constant lover of Henry Little had come to enjoy her superiority. She herself had greatly desired this meeting once, but now it could only serve to mortify her. The very thought that this young woman was near her set her trembling; but she forced herself to appear calm, and, turning to her maid, said, "Tell her I can see no one to-day."

The lady's maid gave this message to the other servant, and she went down-stairs with it.

The message, however, had not been gone long when the desire to put a question to Jael Dence returned strongly upon Grace Carden.

She yielded to an uncontrollable impulse, and sent her maid down to say that she would speak to Jael Dence, in her bedroom, the last thing at night.

"The last thing at night!" said Jael, coloring with indignation;

"and where am I to find a bed after that?"

"Oh," said the late footman, now butler, "you shall not leave the house. I'll manage that for you with the housekeeper."

At half-past eleven o'clock that night Grace dismissed her maid, and told her to bring Jael Dence to her.

Jael came, and they confronted each other once more.

"You can go," said Grace to the maid.

They were alone, and eyed each other strangely.

"Sit down," said Grace, coldly.

"No, thank you," said Jael, firmly. "I shall not stay long after the way I have been received."

"And how do you expect to be received?"

"As I used to be. As a poor girl who once saved HIS life, and nearly lost her own, through being his true and faithful servant."

"Faithful to him, but not to me."

Jael's face showed she did not understand this.

"Yes," said Grace, bitterly, "you are the real cause of my marrying Mr. Coventry, whom I don't love, and never can love. There, read that. I can't speak to you. You look all candor and truth, but I know what you are: all the women in that factory knew about you and him--read that." She handed her the anonymous letter, and watched her like an eagle.

Jael read the poison, and colored a little, but was not confounded.

"Do you believe this, Miss Carden?"

"I did not believe it at first, but too many people have confirmed it. Your own conduct has confirmed it, my poor girl. This is cruel of me."

"Never mind," said Jael, resolutely. "We have gone too far to stop.

My conduct! What conduct, if you please?"

"They all say that, when you found he was no more, you attempted self-destruction."

"Ah," cried Jael, like a wounded hare; "they must tell you that!" and she buried her face in her hands.

Now this was a young woman endowed by nature with great composure, and a certain sobriety and weight; so, when she gave way like that, it produced a great effect on those who knew her.

Grace sighed, and was distressed. But there was no help for it now.

She awaited Jael's reply, and Jael could not speak for some time.

She conquered her agitation, however, at last, and said, in a low voice, "Suppose you had a sister, whom you loved dearly--and then you had a quarrel with her, and neither of you much to blame, the fault lay with a third person; and suppose you came home suddenly and found that sister had left England in trouble, and gone to the other end of the world--would not that cut you to the heart?"

"Indeed it would. How correctly you speak. Now who has been teaching you?"

"Mrs. Little."

"Ah!"

"You HAVE a father. Suppose you left him for a month, and then came back and found him dead and buried--think of that--buried!"

"Poor girl!"

"And all this to fall on a poor creature just off a sick-bed, and scarcely right in her head. When I found poor Mr. Henry was dead, and you at death's door, I crawled home for comfort, and there I found desolation: my sister gone across the sea, my father in the churchyard. I wandered about all night, with my heavy heart and distraught brain, and at last they found me in the river. They may say I threw myself in, but it is my belief I swooned away and fell in. I wouldn't swear, though, for I remember nothing of it. What does it prove against me?"

"Not much, indeed, by itself. But they all say you were shut up with him for hours."

"And that is true; ten hours, every day. He was at war with these trades, and his own workmen had betrayed him. He knew I was as strong as a man at some kinds of work--of course I can't strike blows, and hurt people like a man--so he asked me, would I help him grind saws with his machine on the sly--clandestinely, I mean.

同类推荐
  • 解除篇

    解除篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 莲邦消息

    莲邦消息

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 原善

    原善

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明伦汇编人事典迷忘部

    明伦汇编人事典迷忘部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 一乘佛性究竟论

    一乘佛性究竟论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 禹黄魂

    禹黄魂

    有巢氏构民为巢,燧人氏钻木取火,伏羲八卦,女娲补天,神农尝百草,黄帝战蚩尤,大禹治水……年少颠沛流离的逃亡,终究逃不开敌人的追杀。痛失双亲,他立誓报仇。从懵懂少年如何一步步蜕变成绝世武者,惊险、奇遇、复仇的同时也逃不开属于他的历史使命……希望喜欢本书的书友能够收藏一下,作者感激不尽!
  • 燃烧的红烛

    燃烧的红烛

    张家界这地方,出奇山,出秀水,出异物。单以花言,便有鸽子花、龙虾花、五色花等珍稀品种。鸽子花即“中国珙桐”,系冰川运动的孓遗物,全世界仅我们中国极少数地方幸存之;龙虾花多长于金鞭溪一带,模样酷似龙虾。遥想远古时候这里曾是一片海洋,便自然会生出纷纷的想像;绝无仅有的五色花,长于景区内的神仙湾一处。
  • 星兽征服系统

    星兽征服系统

    莫名卷入未知星际文明,还是个末流小行星。不怕!我有星兽征服系统!星空之上,我为主宰。一声令下,万兽臣服。且看现代少年如何在这星际中披荆斩棘,加冕为王。【PS:桃子第一本书,希望书友们多多收藏支持~桃子拜谢~】【稳更妥妥的,嫌字少的可以先养着,很快就养肥啦!】
  • 教主身软易推倒

    教主身软易推倒

    她曾经是将军府最无用的大小姐,姿色平平。一朝不慎落了水……再醒来时却变成了另一个人。江湖第一大魔教的右护法,容貌出众。然而如今身为右护法的她,每日里不仅要应付江湖人士对她下的各种挑战,还要应付腹黑教主的事事挑剔。她的人生……活得太憋屈了!于是她决定,推倒腹黑教主,称霸天下!
  • 我存在异界

    我存在异界

    我本身是个特战队员,在一次爆炸后我来到了异界。异界的不适应让我成为了别人的奴隶角斗士,在逃亡中被狼王用首领的传承变成了狼人,也成了狼族人的首领。在机缘巧合下又认识了泥克族人,又被泥克族人奉为神使。拥有凤凰、魔虫皇母两大神阶宠物,在穿过迷雾之海后得到了当地种族的效忠。手握一只强大军队的我到底是横扫整个异界大陆还是拯救即将到来的灾难呢?且看我的异世行。
  • La Mere Bauche

    La Mere Bauche

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 破妄神途

    破妄神途

    天才武修惨被封印。家族内行事小心,却还屡遭他人唾弃!此时的萧离殇!抬首望苍天,单腿跪大地!发誓!!!此生若庸俗到老,黄泉之路埋地狱,在不为人!此世若在给我一次修炼机会。我便打破痴心无妄想,异域争霸登神途!
  • 天山暮雪

    天山暮雪

    一支独一无二的箭,引来灭族之灾。幸存者后裔的他,起死回生,召唤神兽,走向抵抗魔兽之路。
  • 末世悚情启世录

    末世悚情启世录

    奥雷圣王的失踪,引发了末世的启示,使得四个年轻人踏上一段恐怖惊心的旅程(某是被迫的),在不知名力量的重重威胁下踏遍整个町鸣世界,找寻被掩埋的答案,解开过去的谜题,拯救整个叮鸣世界的未来。
  • 倾世异能傻妃

    倾世异能傻妃

    她,是魔灵集团首席女总裁。她,是一个刚出生就遭到唾弃的庶女,又幸存下来的“傻瓜”,忍辱负重十几年的天之骄子。在政治与利益下,她成为了牺牲品,被自己的“亲人”送去他国求和。逃婚路上,她偶遇这一生与他有着千丝万缕的他-诸葛浩然。他傲视一切,唯独对她一见倾心,生死相随。她目空一切,唯独对他无奈相对。