登陆注册
15483200000131

第131章 CHAPTER XXV SMOULDERING COALS(2)

"It was only another of the mistakes and misunderstandings that divided us all at that time, my dear," Miss Clendenning answered. "This dreadful war could have been averted, if people had only come together and understood each other. I did not think so then, but I do now."

"And you don't think me wicked, Cousin Lavinia?"

Margaret asked with a sudden relaxation of her figure and something infinitely childlike and appealing in her tone. "You really don't think me wicked, do you?"

"Not wicked, dear; only human, as I said a moment ago. Yet you have been stronger than I. You have held on and won; I let go and lost."

Margaret bent forward and laid her finger on Miss Clendenning's knee.

"Lost what, Cousin Lavinia?" she asked, in surprise.

"My lover."

"When?"

"When I was just your age."

"Did he die?" asked Margaret in awed tones, overcome all at once with the solemnity of the hour and a strange new note in Miss Lavinia's voice.

"No, he married someone else."

"He never--never loved you, then." There was a positiveness now in her intonations.

"Yes, he did, with all his heart. His mother came between us."

Again silence fell on the room. Margaret would not look at Miss Clendenning. The little old maid had suddenly opened the windows of her heart, but whether to let a long-caged sorrow out or some friendly sympathy in, she could not tell.

"May I know about it!" There was a softer cadence now in the girl's voice.

"It would only make you unhappy, dear. It was all over forty years or more ago. Sallie, when she saw you, put her arms about you. You had only to come together. The oftener she sees you, the more she will love you. My lover's mother shut the door in my face."

"In your face? Why?"

Margaret moved closer to Miss Clendenning, stirred by a sudden impulse, as if she could even now protect her from one who had hurt her.

Miss Lavinia bent forward and picked up the brass tongs that lay on the fender at her feet. She saw Margaret's gesture, but she did not turn her head. Her eyes were still watching the smouldering embers.

"For no reason, dear, that you or any other Northern woman could understand. An old family quarrel that began before I was born."

Margaret's cheeks flushed and a determined look came into her face.

"The coward! I would not have cared what his mother or anybody else did, or how they quarrelled.

If I loved you I would have married you in spite of everything."

"And so would he." She was balancing the tongs in her hand now, her eyes still on the fire. She had not looked at Margaret once.

"What happened then?"

Miss Clendenning leaned forward, spread the tongs in her little hands, lifted an ember and tucked it closer to its neighbor. The charred mass crumbled at the touch and fell into a heap of broken coals.

"I am a Clendenning, my dear; that is all," she answered, slowly.

Margaret stared at her with wide-open eyes. That a life should be wrecked for a mere question of family pride was something her mind could not fathom.

"Have you regretted it since, Cousin Lavinia?" she asked, calmly. She wanted to follow it out now to the end.

Miss Clendenning heaped the broken coals closer together, laid the tongs back in their place on the fender, and, turning to Margaret, said, with a sigh:

"Don't ask me, my dear. I never dare ask myself, but do you keep your hand close in Oliver's.

Remember, dear, close--close! Then you will never know the bitterness of a lonely life."

She rose from her seat, bent down, and, taking Margaret's cheeks between her palms, kissed her on the forehead.

Margaret put her arms about the little lady, and was about to draw her nearer, when the front door opened and a step was heard in the hall. Miss Lavinia raised herself erect, listening to the sound.

"Hark!" she cried, "there's the dear fellow, now"--and she advanced to meet him, her gentle countenance once more serene.

Oliver's face as he entered the room told the story.

"Not worse?" Margaret exclaimed, starting from her chair.

"Yes--much worse. I have just sent word to Uncle Nat"--and he kissed them both. "Put on your things at once. The doctor is anxious.

Miss Lavinia caught up her cloak, handed Margaret her shawl, and the three hurried out the front-door and along the Square, passing the Pancoast house, now turned into offices, its doors and windows covered with signs, and the Clayton Mansion, surmounted by a flag-pole and still used by the Government.

Entering the park, they crossed the site of the once lovely flower-beds, now trampled flat--as was everything else in the grounds--and so on to the marble steps of the Horn Mansion.

Mrs. Horn met them at the top of the stairs. She put her arms silently about Margaret, kissed her tenderly, and led her into Richard's room. Oliver and Miss Clendenning stood at the door.

The master lay under the canopy of the four-post bedstead, his eyes closed, the soft white hair lost in the pillows, the pale face tinged with the glow of the night lamp. Dr. Wallace was standing by the bed watching the labored breathing of the prostrate man. Old Hannah sat on the floor at Richard's feet.

She was rocking to and fro, making no sign, crooning inaudibly to herself listening to every sound.

Margaret sank to her knees and laid her cheek on the coverlet. She wanted to touch something that was close to him.

The head of the sick man turned uneasily. The doctor bent noiselessly down, put his ears close to the patient's breast, touched his pulse with his fingers, and laid his hand on his forehead.

"Better send for some hot water," he whispered to Mrs. Horn when he had regained her side. Margaret overheard, and started to rise from her knees, but Mrs. Horn waved her back. "Hannah will get it," she said, and stooped close to the old woman to give the order. There was a restrained calmness in her manner that sent a shiver through Margaret.

She remembered just such an expression on her mother's face when her own father lay dying.

同类推荐
  • 脏腑门

    脏腑门

    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。
  • 俱力迦罗龙王仪轨

    俱力迦罗龙王仪轨

    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。
  • 莲修必读

    莲修必读

    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。
  • Seventeen

    Seventeen

    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。
  • 十二门论

    十二门论

    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
  • 远古遗传

    远古遗传

    远古的基因遗传,开启了一段远古的洪荒风暴。那逝去的先人们,遗下的沧桑遗迹与那悲鸣的爱恨与不甘。
  • 三界仙妃

    三界仙妃

    她,被认为是扫把星,一出生就克死生母,受尽了庶母和异母姊妹们的羞辱,一直忍辱负重的她,最终她不再沉默···她一朝崛起,踏上仙途,怀揣异宝,纵横江湖。无论是风流倜傥的豪门世子,还是放任游侠的江湖少年,都纷纷拜倒在她的石榴裙下。三界将因为这个注定生而不凡的奇女子的到来,而发生翻天覆地的变化···
  • 孽徒

    孽徒

    "凤凰仙子下凡渡劫,要收残暴太子为徒,她很想拒绝!哪有徒儿进入师傅寝宫不通传?哪有徒儿看见师傅沐浴不捂眼?哪有徒儿醉酒之后对师傅为所欲为不认错?傲娇仙子恼怒算账,残暴太子很委屈:“师傅,我亲你,是想试试我是不是他们所说的断袖!”傲娇仙子大惊:“那你试出来了吗?”残暴太子凑近:“亲得太浅,不识滋味……不如加深再试?”…………凡间太子,上欺国君,下辱权臣,孽徒一枚,不可教养,却唯师傅可以靠近,恩宠一世!"
  • 女王逆袭:小人等着瞧

    女王逆袭:小人等着瞧

    18岁正在读大一的冰落夜殇的爸爸在她1岁时就去世了。她的妈妈在她18岁的那年改嫁了。一个长得一般的男人等着他的父亲住进了她们家。可是没想到一个老人居然那么会伪装,在她妈妈和她的继父在的时候他表现的是那么乖巧,可是当他们走了的时候,他就完全变了一副模样。没关系,他们并不知道冰落夜殇乃是皇室失散多年的公主,更是全球第二大公司的神秘董事长。在冰落夜殇这个如樱花般的年龄里冷凌墨走进了她的世界里。让她不再一个人承受一切,一个人悲伤。他将成为她可遮风挡雨的人,可依赖的人。至于小人嘛,慢慢报复,小人你等着瞧。
  • 恶魔哥哥好可怕

    恶魔哥哥好可怕

    她不明白,为什么优雅的哥哥,要带着不清醒的醉意夺去她的清白。她更不明白,在她发现已有他的孩子时,他却将他的未婚妻领到了家里,彼时,她才发现,他眼里那浓到化不开的恨!他用这世上最残忍的方式对待她,直至她心如死灰,逃离这个梦魇般的国度。强势归来,而他也发现当年的真相比他了解的更残忍,一切,又将如何逆转?(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 仙剑妖魔录

    仙剑妖魔录

    道法万千,我只修逍遥。道大,天大,地大,都无逍遥自在大。我自逍遥为我最大。
  • 我的女神攻略

    我的女神攻略

    一次同学聚会,点燃了唐夜的热血,让他的人生变得无限精彩。爱慕的校花竟然主动示好,千金大小姐与他共舞疯狂,更有美女总裁倾心,挡不住的桃花运。而那些曾经欺压过他的人,他将用拳头与成就狠狠反击;这是属于唐夜的女神攻略,也是热血的都市传奇。
  • 独宠鬼眼王妃

    独宠鬼眼王妃

    她,就像他心头的一颗朱砂痣,抚不平,抹不去。想起时,就如刀割一般疼,他也不知道怎么了,只记得模糊中那一滴血泪,那满头白发深深印在自己的脑海中,挥之不去……二十二世纪少女慕笙,天生具有一双魅惑的鬼眼。一次地震,穿回了古代,穿到了不受宠的倾城王妃身上。大婚时,他与自己的丫鬟翻云覆雨,将自己打入冷宫。“哼,我还求之不得呢,姐姐要逃婚!!”她逃,他追……在她逃了N+1次时,又被他追回来。不知不觉中,彼此的心早已经沉沦。中了蛊毒的他忘记了她,他抱着另一个女人宠溺的笑,她带着满头白发和满身的鲜血离开…四年后,她从另一个世界涅槃归来,带着上古神器和神兽重新站在他面前,她们又该何去何从……
  • 海角风闻

    海角风闻

    翰川三侠青梅竹马,三人性格似冰似火,却又相补相依,他是扛着大刀的刺客,她是背负秘密的弓箭手。后遭遇变化,他说,打败我,否则就忘了我…她前往雪域修行,结识皇族一行人,他却不知所踪。成年后来到飞行学院,这聚集四大陆不同种族和等级的人。再相见,他宛如陌生人,她叫他,他不理;她受伤,他不问;她升级,他冷漠;她有追求者,他却发起了火?她本隐藏实力进入学院,又如何当上学院霸主,如何统一凝聚四大陆高手的地方?擂台上她吐了口血,狠狠甩掉低调的的外衣,露出里面的战袍,昂起头,挺直脊背,她一战成名。【这是一个慢热升级变强的故事。】
  • 天都学院

    天都学院

    星幻大陆,异物遍地。在几百年前,星幻大陆上降临许多流星,在这些流星中,有着许多的怪物,人类被迫迁移,这些降临的流星也给人类带来了魔法,着些人职业分别是战士,法师,骑士,牧师,刺客,猎人,并且建造了6大圣殿。天都学院便是集结了6大圣殿中的各种人才,组成学院,教育学生如何猎杀怪物,并且在毕业后进行试炼,组成猎物团