FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106  
107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>  
is news to me, as I never saw her in my life before tonight. Is she a particular friend of yours, Sir Norman?" "Never you mind that, my dear boy; but take my advice, and don't trouble yourself looking for her; for, most assuredly, if you find her, I shall break your head!" "Much obliged," said Hubert, touching his cap, "but nevertheless, I shall risk it. She had the plague, though, when she jumped into the river, and perhaps the best place to find her would be the pest-house. I shall try." "Go, and Heaven speed you! Yonder is the way to it, and my road lies here. Good night, master Hubert." "Good night, Sir Norman," responded the page, bowing airily; "and if I do not find the lady to-night, most assuredly I shall do so to-morrow." Turning along a road leading to the pest-house, and laughing as he went, the boy disappeared. Fearing lest the page should follow him, and thereby discover a clue to Leoline's abode, Sir Norman turned into a street some distance from the house, and waited in the shadow until he was out of sight. Then he came forth, and, full of impatience to get back to the ruin, hurried on to where he had left his horse. He was still in the care of the watchman, whom he repaid for his trouble; and as he sprang on his back, he glanced up at the windows of Leoline's house. It was all buried in profound darkness but that one window from which that faint light streamed, and he knew that she had not yet gone to rest. For a moment he lingered and looked at it in the absurd way lovers will look, and was presently rewarded by seeing what he watched for--a shadow flit between him and the light. The sight was a strong temptation to him to dismount and enter, and, under pretence of warning her against the Earl of Rochester and his "pretty page," see her once again. But reflection, stepping rebukingly up to him, whispered indignantly, that his ladylove was probably by this time in her night robe, and not at home to lovers; and Sir Norman respectfully bowed to reflection's superior wisdom. He thought of Hubert's words, "If I do not find her tonight, I shall most assuredly to-morrow," and a chill presentiment of coming evil fell upon him. "To-morrow," he said, as he turned to go. "Who knows what to-morrow may bring forth! Fairest and dearest Leoline, goodnight!" He rode away in the moonlight, with the stars shining peacefully down upon him. His heart at the moment was a divided one--one half being given to
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106  
107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>  



Top keywords:

Norman

 

morrow

 
Leoline
 

assuredly

 

Hubert

 

shadow

 

moment

 

turned

 

lovers

 
reflection

trouble
 

tonight

 

Fairest

 
presently
 
rewarded
 

watched

 

peacefully

 
dearest
 

looked

 
window

moonlight

 
profound
 
darkness
 

streamed

 

goodnight

 

shining

 
lingered
 

absurd

 

dismount

 
buried

coming
 

ladylove

 

whispered

 

indignantly

 

thought

 

wisdom

 

presentiment

 

respectfully

 

superior

 
rebukingly

stepping
 
warning
 

pretence

 

temptation

 

Rochester

 
divided
 

pretty

 

strong

 

plague

 

jumped