Fleming_A_Terrible_Secret.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
"
girl's lips quivered. had been to her--how wholly
her great, generous, loving heart had gone out to him, not even
ever knew. dream of her life's best bliss was at an end forever.
lived or died, no other woman would ever take
her place in his heart.
hours of the night wore on. ! those solemn night watches by
the dying bed of those we love. faint lamp flickers, deepest
stillness reigns, and on his bed, dressed as he was, lies
deeply, dreamlessly asleep.
was broad day when he awoke--the dawn of a cloudless day.
sat up in bed suddenly, for a moment, bewildered, and stared before
him. for a moment--then he remembered all. night had passed,
the morning come. had let him sleep--it seemed he _could_ sleep
while she lay dying so near. ! was to tell him that in yonder
distant room was not lying dead. rose up, reeling like a
drunken man, and made for the door. opened it, and went out, down
the passage. was entirely deserted, the great household was not
yet astir. stillness reigned. the windows he could
see the bright morning sky, all flushed, red and golden with the first
radiance of the rising sun. in that room there what lay--death
or life?
stood suddenly still, and looked at the closed door. stood there
motionless, his eyes fixed upon it, unable to advance another step.
opened abruptly--quickly but noiselessly, and 's pale,
tired face looked out. sight of him she came forward--he asked
no questions--his eyes looked at her full of a dumb agony of
questioning she never forgot.
"!" she exclaimed, coming nearer.
first ray of the rising sun streaming through the windows fell
full upon her pale face, and it was as the face of an angel.
"!" she repeated, with a great tearless sob, holding out both
hands; ", bless ! the doctor says we may--_hope_!"
had braced himself to hear the worst--not this. made one step
forward and fell at her feet like a stone.
.
.
might hope? night had passed, the morning had come, and she
still lived.
would hardly have thought so to look at her as she lay, deathly
white, deathly still. as the day broke she had awakened from a
long sleep, the most natural and refreshing she had known for weeks,
and looked up into the pale anxious face of with the faint shadow
of a smile. the eyelids swayed and closed in sleep once more,
but she had recognized for the first time in days--the crisis
was over and hope had come.
would not let her see him. while she slept would they allow
him now to enter her room. it was easily borne-- was not
to die, and and his own grateful happy heart only knew how
infinitely blessed he was in that knowledge. the long bitter
night--after the darkness and the pain, light and morning had come.
would live--all was said in that.
" are some remedies that are either kill or cure in their
action," the old doctor said, giving a facetious poke. "
marriage was one of them, young man. __ thought it was --it
turns out it was ."
many days no memory of the past returned to her, her existence
was as the existence of a new-born babe, spent alternately in taking
food and sleep. she took with eager avidity after her long
starvation, and then sank back again into profound, refreshing
slumber.
" her sleep," said the doctor, with a complacent nod; "the more
the better. 's 's way of repairing damages."
came a day at last when thought and recollection began to
struggle back--when she had strength to lie awake and think.
than once caught the dark eyes fixed in silent wistfulness upon
her--a question in them her lips would not ask.
guessed it, and one day spoke:
" is it, ?" she said; "you look as if you wanted to say
something, you know."
"--how long have been sick?" was 's question.
" five weeks, and an awful life you've led us, can tell you!
at me--worn to skin and bone. do you suppose you will have
to say for yourself when comes?"
smiled faintly, but her eyes still kept their wistful look.
" suppose was delirious part of the time, ?"
", staring crazy--raving like a lunatic at full moon! you
needn't look so concerned about it--we've changed all that. 'll
do now."
"," she said it with a sigh; "you have all been very kind.
suppose it's only a fancy of the fever after all"
"?"
"--! don't laugh at me, but thought was here."
" you?" responded ; "the most natural thing in life. _is_
here."
eyes lighted--her lips parted--a question trembled upon them,
but she hesitated.
" on," said , enjoying it all; "there's something else
on your mind. up, ! don't be ashamed of yourself."
" am afraid you _will_ laugh this time, -- know it is only
a dream, but thought and were--"
"," said ; "were--what?"
", then!" with a faint little laugh. "'t tell him, please,
but it seems--it seems so real, had to tell you."
turned her face away. , with suspicious dimness in her
eyes, stooped down and kissed that thin, wan face.
" poor little !" she said; "you _do_ like , don't
you? no, it's not a dream--you were married nearly a fortnight ago.
hope of my life is realized--you are my sister, and 's
wife!"
was a little panting cry--then she covered her face with her
hands and lay still.
" is outside," went on ; "you don't know what a good boy he
has been--so patient--and all that. deserves some reward. think
if you had died he would have died too-- and ,
over again. that much believe in broken hearts where men are
concerned, either," pursued , growing, cynical; "but this seems
an exceptional case. 's awfully fond of you, ; 'pon my word
he is. only hope may go off in a dead faint the first time
'm sick and get better, as he did the other day. haven't let him
in much lately, for fear of agitating you, but think," says ,
with twinkling eyes, "you could stand it now--couldn't you, .
?"
did not wait for a reply--she went out and hunted up .
was smoking downstairs, and trying to read the morning paper.
" wife wants you," said brusquely; "go! only mind
this--don't stay too long, and don't talk too much."
started to his feet--away went __ and cigar, and up the
stairs sprang --half a dozen at a time.
then sits down, throws her handkerchief over her face,
and for the next five minutes indulges in the exclusively feminine
luxury of a real good cry.
* * * * *
that . 's recovery was perfectly magical in
its rapidity. and splendid vitality, no doubt, had something
to do with it, but think the fact that she _was_ .
had more to do still.
came a day, when propped up with pillows, she could sit erect,
and talk, and be talked to as much as she chose, when blinds were
pulled up, and sunshine poured in; and no sunshine that ever shone
was half so bright as her happy face. came still another day,
when robed in a pretty pink morning-dress, lifted her in his
arms and carried her to the arm-chair by the window, whence she could
look down on the bright, busy city street, whilst he sat at her feet
and talked. ! who is to tell of what? " souls with but a
single thought--two hearts that beat as one," generally find enough
to say for themselves, notice, and require the aid of no outsiders.
there came still another day--a fortnight after, when looking
pale and sweet, in a dark-gray travelling suit and hat, .
, leaning on her husband's arm, said good-by to her friends,
and started on her bridal tour. were to spend the next three
weeks , and then return for 's wedding at .
came; merry , sparkling with snow and sunshine,
as ever should sparkle, and bringing that gallant ex-officer
of , --captain no longer--plain .
, done with drilling and duty, and getting the route forever,
going in for quiet, country life in bonnie , with
for aider and abettor.
and his wife came to for the wedding. had told
. how ill had been, but the young , as he
pulled his ginger whiskers and stared in her radiant, blooming face,
found it difficult indeed to realize. had been a pretty girl--a
handsome woman--happiness had made her more--she was lovely now.
--outwardly all his easy insouciance had returned--he submitted
to be idolized and made much of by his wife, after the calm fashion
of lordly man. you had only to see him look once into her
beautiful, laughing face, to know how passionately she was beloved.
. and . had a splendid wedding; and to say our
looked charming would be doing her no sort of justice.
again was first bridesmaid, and . , in lavender
silk, sniffed behind a fifty dollar pocket handkerchief, as in duty
bound. departed immediately after the ceremony for
and a tour--that very tour which, as you know,
was cheated so cruelly out of three years before.
. and . went back to finish the winter and the
honeymoon among the glades of , and "do," as said,
" among the ." . returned to . .
, senior, took up her abode with , pending such
time as her children should get over the first delirium of
matrimonial bliss and settle quietly down to housekeeping.
that it was fixed that she was to divide her time equally between
them, six months with each. and his wife would make
their home; 's ample fortune lay there, and both loved the fair
old land.
they sailed for . would spend the whole of the
summer in travelling--the pleasant rambling life suited
them well. they went down to first; and one soft
afternoon stood side by side in the old church where the
for generations had been buried. mellow light came
softly through the painted windows--up in the organ loft, a young
girl sat playing to herself soft, sweet, solemn melodies. both
hearts bowed down in tender sadness as they stood before _one_ tomb,
the last erected within those walls, that of .
pulled her veil over her face--the only tears that had filled
her eyes since her second wedding-day falling quietly now.
were many remembrances of the dead man. beautiful memorial
window, a sombre hatchment, and a monument of snow-white marble.
was very simple--it represented only a broken shaft, and beneath in
gold letters this inscription:
, of , .
. 3, 1867, in the 24th year of his age.
"_ sun set while it was yet day_."