登陆注册
14815300000049

第49章

AFTER more than a fortnight spent in the highlands of Scotland, Jerome passed hastily through London on his way to the continent.

It was toward sunset, on a warm day in October, shortly after his arrival in France, that, after strolling some distance from the Hotel de Leon, in the old and picturesque town of Dunkirk, he entered a burial ground--such places being always favorite walks with him--and wandered around among the silent dead. All nature around was hushed in silence, and seemed to partake of the general melancholy that hung over the quiet resting-place of the departed.

Even the birds seemed imbued with the spirit of the place, for they were silent, either flying noiselessly over the graves, or jumping about in the tall grass. After tracing the various inscriptions that told the characters and conditions of the deceased, and viewing the mounds beneath which the dust of mortality slumbered, he arrived at a secluded spot near where an aged weeping willow bowed its thick foliage to the ground, as though anxious to hide from the scrutinizing gaze of curiosity the grave beneath it. Jerome seated himself on a marble tombstone, and commenced reading from a book which he had carried under his arm.

It was now twilight, and he had read but a few minutes when he observed a lady, attired in deep black, and leading a boy, apparently some five or six years old, coming up one of the beautiful, winding paths. As the lady's veil was drawn closely over her face, he felt somewhat at liberty to eye her more closely. While thus engaged, the lady gave a slight scream, and seemed suddenly to have fallen into a fainting condition. Jerome sprang from his seat, and caught her in time to save her from falling to the ground.

At this moment an elderly gentleman, also dressed in black, was seen approaching with a hurried step, which seemed to indicate that he was in some way connected with the lady. The old man came up, and in rather a confused manner inquired what had happened, and Jerome explained matters as well as he was able to do so.

After taking up the vinaigrette, which had fallen from her hand, and holding the bottle a short time to her face, the lady began to revive. During all this time, the veil had still partly covered the face of the fair one, so that Jerome had scarcely seen it. When she had so far recovered as to be able to look around her, she raised herself slightly, and again screamed and swooned. The old man now feeling satisfied that Jerome's dark complexion was the immediate cause of the catastrophe, said in a somewhat petulant tone,--"I will be glad, sir, if you will leave us alone."

The little boy at this juncture set up a loud cry, and amid the general confusion, Jerome left the ground and returned to his hotel.

While seated at the window of his room looking out upon the crowded street, with every now and then the strange scene in the graveyard vividly before him, Jerome suddenly thought of the book he had been reading, and, remembering that he had left it on the tombstone, where he dropped it when called to the lady's assistance, he determined to return for it at once.

After a walk of some twenty minutes, he found himself again in the burial-ground and on the spot where he had been an hour before. The pensive moon was already up, and its soft light was sleeping on the little pond at the back of the grounds, while the stars seemed smiling at their own sparkling rays gleaming up from the beautiful sheet of water.

Jerome searched in vain for his book; it was nowhere to be found.

Nothing, save the bouquet that the lady had dropped and which lay half-buried in the grass, from having been trodden upon, indicated that any one had been there that evening. The stillness of death reigned over the place; even the little birds, that had before been twittering and flying about, had retired for the night.

Taking up the bunch of flowers, Jerome returned to his hotel.

"What can this mean?" he would ask himself; "and why should they take my book?" These questions he put to himself again and again during his walk. His sleep was broken more than once that night, and he welcomed the early dawn as it made its appearance.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 最终信念

    最终信念

    这里是神奇的国度,因为这里拥有幻想的一切。所有你渴望的而又得不到的,在这里都可以得到;想要获得这一切,你只需要做一件事——活下去!……叶辰奕与黑科技λ-Driver匹配度达到99%;他将站在科技与幻想的巅峰,掌握绝对领域AT力场;强殖“海市蜃楼”隐形系统;刀锋女皇是他的奴仆;深渊魔王向他臣服;枪斗术、矢量操纵、超电磁炮、光束枪、相位移动……所有科学及幻想的极致,在他身上都可体现!科技,魔法,玄幻,谁将是神秘国度的最终力量!
  • 霸道校草无限宠:Y头,你是我的

    霸道校草无限宠:Y头,你是我的

    她是个普通的A市市民,父母跟他的父母是世交?只因为小时候玩的好,就定了娃娃亲?!天啊!“Y头,你只能是我的!”
  • 我有多爱你(番外停更慎入)

    我有多爱你(番外停更慎入)

    年少的一场相识。天真的一场私奔。命中注定的重逢。他和她,兜转一生,只为那一句,我有多爱你。
  • 妖孽竹马的呆萌小青梅

    妖孽竹马的呆萌小青梅

    他们是青梅竹马,一个腹黑一个呆萌,男女主身心干净。-----------作者保证周更。
  • 剑圣拯救世界

    剑圣拯救世界

    虚空将吞噬世界。拥有神秘玉石之人,得到抵抗虚空的力量。想要更强,那就去掠夺。即便是剑圣,也想要拯救世界。
  • 余暮莫等佳人归

    余暮莫等佳人归

    本文属于短篇小说,虽少但很精。希望你们可以喜欢,美满的结局固然最好,但现实生活中哪有那么说童话,天下没有不散的宴席。
  • 凤战九天:绝品大小姐

    凤战九天:绝品大小姐

    21世纪,女王一朝穿越,异世大路大放光彩,可不知等待她的是?他,高冷是他的代名词,却不知遇上她,让你大跌眼球,不是说高冷,不近人情,更不近女色,拒人于十步开外……这些全不是,腹黑高冷情感专一……
  • 炮灰皇后逆袭史

    炮灰皇后逆袭史

    花晓晓最近在看了一本叫做《冷王枭妃虐虐爱》的小说,从书名就可看出本文实乃集狗血,弱智,脑残,小儿麻痹症于一身的言情虐文。据说这部小说受到诸多追捧,里面男主更是被捧为史上第一深情帝王。但,花晓晓认为,本文男主实在是渣男中的战斗机,贱男中的佼佼者。不幸的是,花晓晓一觉醒来发现她竟然穿成了此渣男的老婆,更不幸的是,在原著中她是个炮灰,出场不到三次就被KO掉了。于是乎,花晓晓为了摆脱被炮灰的命运,开始了难度系数爆表的逆袭史……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 毒神决

    毒神决

    一问苍天何为爱情?苍天曰:公猪和母猪就是爱情。二问苍天何为江山?苍天曰:臭脚的下面,就是江山。三问苍天何为大道?苍天曰:我就是大道!四问苍天何为节操?“……”苍天不语。
  • TFBOYS为你摘最亮的星

    TFBOYS为你摘最亮的星

    “我怎么变这样,变得这样倔强......”听着熟悉的歌,三个女孩却落泪了,看着窗外飘落的雪,她们的心也在落泪。王俊凯,王源,易烊千玺,你们在哪里,曾经的爱,曾经的承诺,你们不记得了吗?(注:本书纯属虚构,欢迎四叶草家人,薄荷第一次写书,不喜勿喷!)作者QQ:2019629060要加作者需要回答太阳再暖比不过王源【记得备注你是读者哦!】