登陆注册
14951800000102

第102章 A Device of Classical Tragedy(1)

After a moment’s silence, employed by milady in observing the young man who was listening to her, milady continued her recital.

“When evening came I was so weak that almost every instant I fainted, and every time that I fainted I thanked God, for I thought I was going to die.

“In the midst of one of these fainting fits I heard the door open. Terror recalled me to myself.

“He entered the apartment, followed by a man in a mask. He himself was masked, but I knew his step, I knew his voice. I knew him by that imposing carriage which hell bestowed on his person for the curse of humanity.

“‘Well,’ said he to me, ‘have you made up your mind?’

“‘You have said Puritans have but one word. Mine you have heard, and that is to pursue you on earth before the tribunal of men, in heaven before the tribunal of God.’

“‘You persist, then?’

“‘I swear it before the God who hears me. I will take the whole world as a witness of your crime, and that until I have found an avenger.’

“‘Executioner,’ said he, ‘do your duty.”’

“Oh, his name, his name!” cried Felton; “tell it me!”

“Then in spite of my cries, in spite of my resistance—for I began to realize that for me there was a question of something worse than death—the executioner seized me, threw me on the floor, bruised me with his rough grasp. Suffocated by sobs, almost without consciousness, invoking God, who did not listen to me, I suddenly uttered a frightful cry of pain and shame. A burning fire, a red-hot iron, the iron of the executioner, was imprinted on my shoulder.”

Felton uttered a groan.

“Here,” said milady, rising with the majesty of a queen—“here, Felton, behold the new martyrdom invented for a young girl, pure, and yet the victim of a scoundrel’s brutality. Learn to know the hearts of men, and henceforth make yourself less easily the instrument of their unjust revenges.”

Milady, with a swift gesture, opened her dress, tore the cambric that covered her bosom, and, red with feigned anger and simulated modesty, showed the young man the ineffaceable impression which dishonoured her beautiful shoulder.

“But,” cried Felton, “it is a fleur-de-lis which I see there.”

“And therein consisted the infamy,” replied milady. “The brand of England!—it would have been necessary to prove what tribunal had imposed it on me, and I could have made a public appeal to all the tribunals of the kingdom; but the brand of France!—oh, by that, by that I was branded indeed!”

This was too much for Felton.

Pale, motionless, overwhelmed by this frightful revelation, dazzled by the superhuman beauty of this woman, who unveiled herself before him with a shamelessness which appeared to him sublime, he ended by falling on his knees.

“Pardon! pardon!” cried Felton; “oh, pardon!”

Milady read in his eyes, “Love! love!”

“Pardon for what?” asked she.

“Pardon me for having joined your persecutors.”

Milady held out her hand to him.

“So beautiful! so young!” cried Felton, covering that hand with his kisses.

Milady cast on him one of those looks which make a slave into a king.

Felton was a Puritan. He dropped this woman’s hand to kiss her feet.

He more than loved her; he adored her.

When this crisis was past; when milady seemed to have recovered her self-control, which she had not lost even for an instant; when Felton had seen her cover again with the veil of chastity those treasures of love which were concealed from him only to make him desire them the more ardently,

“Ah, now!” said he, “I have only one thing to ask of you—that is, the name of your true executioner. For in my eyes there is but one. The other was the instrument, that was all.”

“What, brother!” cried milady; “must I name him? Have you not yet divined who he is?”

“What!” cried Felton; “he!—he again!—he always! What!—the real culprit!”

同类推荐
  • 普济本事方

    普济本事方

    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。
  • 立斋遗文

    立斋遗文

    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。
  • 医效秘传

    医效秘传

    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。
  • 天然居士怀净土诗

    天然居士怀净土诗

    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。
  • 上方钧天演范真经

    上方钧天演范真经

    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
  • 不悔桃花催弦断

    不悔桃花催弦断

    女子玲珑曼妙的身影,翩然起舞的背影,早就像烙印一样印在了他的脑海里,一见钟情,见之不忘兮。愿我如星君如月,夜夜相伴长相守。——温桃-若你不是君王,我不是公主,可否长相守?他们注定不能是夫妻,当他在那场大火放开她的手而保护着另外一个女人离去时,他们就注定再也不能在一起。
  • 眼眸深处的花为我绽放一次

    眼眸深处的花为我绽放一次

    “相遇在这茫茫人海之中谈何容易?”他款款笑道。“是茫茫题海之中!”她咬牙切齿道,握紧了手中的笔,“还请老师用词准确!”“这道题做错了你还有理了是吧?!”他换下了那张脸,毫无形象的敲着她的脑袋。一阵无语。“老师,这怎么做?”他翻了个白眼,手中的笔却一笔一划着。……数年之后……“老师,这怎么做?”“这样做!”不等她回答,他早已将她压在身下。一大清早,她按着酸软的腰:“老师,请自重!”Just书友群556800223。
  • 就爱小媒婆

    就爱小媒婆

    因为小时候偶然目睹了做媒人的回报,“做媒人”,这颗愿望的种子从此在阿冰心里深深扎下了根。长大后,她在一群单身男女中混得风生水起,成了熟人圈中新一代金牌冰人。什么?阿冰还剩着?不怕,她的信条是做媒就要先人后己,甚至忽略了自己是个年轻姑娘的现实。然而老天是善良的,他怎么能忍心看着阿冰成为老姑娘呢,他已经早早为阿冰安排了一位如意郎君。可是在阿冰终于收获了爱情之后,前女友、第三者、抢男人以及色诱等传说中的戏码开上在她身上轮番上演......
  • 幻灵天生

    幻灵天生

    我们行走在死亡的边缘--林风第一次发书,并不是太懂,请见谅啊亲!本人是学生,仅能保持每日一更,周末二更。喜欢的朋友们支持一下吧!第一个打赏的豪哥会写进作品介绍里!重写新书《虚幻末日》,喜欢的话可以去那里看
  • 封神独尊

    封神独尊

    一个孤儿与一位大小姐的奇怪约定。一个神奇的系统助其傲视群雄。神又如何?若妳讨厌,便弑给你看。永恒又何难?若你想,便与天共存。
  • 咏春咏春

    咏春咏春

    都市之中冥冥间隐于人群,侠之大意尽在传奇人生。
  • 音主大人穿越:非你不可

    音主大人穿越:非你不可

    【本文全免,放心阅读】一朝音主大人穿越成皇室千金,帝王世家都拜倒在一幅【三蝶情】的脚下!音鸾筝:夫君,你看人家的夫君都会给娘子说情话,你内?百里翼枫:不是为夫不说,是说了你也没听见!音鸾筝:夫君~~你就给娘子说吧~~百里翼枫:没空理会黛玉的美,从不对着西施流口水,昭君抛媚眼也是白给,貂蝉在世我也不会想入非非,只因你早已占据我的心扉,其他人再美我也不会去追!
  • 茅山奇谭

    茅山奇谭

    一敕不降;道灭于无。二敕不降,道绝于仙。三敕不降,斩首献天。诸神号令,速降吾坛。这里是梦魇的源头……魑魅魍魉、古灵精怪、尸兽横行、妖魔祸世——上古四大僵尸始祖。这里有你前所未见的修仙体系……九九八十一仙笈,九阶婴变,成魔成仙,由心证道。这里的茅山道法别具一格……尸体为炉,淬炼精魂。逆转阴阳,法道乾坤。充满好奇和拥有着尸控欲的你,还等什么呢?急急如律令,速速与贫道开坛施法,降妖伏魔吧!(*^_^*求推荐票,谢谢啦!)
  • 人皮论语

    人皮论语

    中国文化第一历史悬案,历史的河道在秦汉陡然弯转,百家争鸣绝声,纵横游侠隐踪。儒家虽被汉武独尊,却也难逃被阉割的命运。挖掘两千年历史淤泥,钻探中国人精神古墓。逆推出一场控扼两千年命运的骇人阴谋。惊天秘密层层揭开,七十五次剧情急转,每三千字一道波澜。最勇敢的历史小说,最刺心的民族悲歌。
  • 诀剑殇歌

    诀剑殇歌

    沈梦沉,一个来历神秘的青年,一身的道行卓绝天下,涉世入道,追寻着梦中的记忆,一步步揭开没入时间过往的一切。