FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  
d in life!" Realizing that he has given so much for so little, his bitterness becomes uncontrollable, and though he says nothing, Carmen surprises a horrid look on his face. "You'll be committing murder next, if you look like that," she laughs. "Well, you are not very good company. Hello, there! Mercedes, Frasquita--anybody instead of this fool--let's amuse ourselves. Get the cards. Let us tell our fortunes, eh?" The three girls gather about the table; the other two shuffle and cut. The cards turn out well for them. Carmen watches them. After a moment she reaches for the pack. She is very nonchalant about it, and glances at Jose as she shuffles the cards. Then she sits half upon the table and cuts. A glance! a moment of sudden fear! she has cut death for herself! The blow has come to her in her most reckless moment. After an instant's pause she sings with a simple fatalism in voice and manner: In vain to shun the answer that we dread. She cuts the cards again and yet again. Still her dreadful fate appears. "There is no hope," she murmurs to herself, as El Dancairo starts up and cries: "'Tis time to be off. The way is clear. Come." The others, headed by Remendado and El Dancairo, file down the path, leaving Don Jose alone in the cave. It is a dismal scene: the loneliness of Jose, the menace of death in the air! While Jose sits with bowed head, a girl's figure rises behind the rocks, and almost at the same moment there appears the form of a man, as well. Jose hears the rolling of the stones beneath their feet and starts up, musket in hand. Just as he rises, he sees the man's head. The girl cries out as he fires upon the man, and misses him; then she crouches down behind the rock. It is Michaela, come to find Jose wherever he may be. She knows of his disgrace; it is killing his mother. The lonely old woman is dying. Michaela has come to fetch him, if he has not lost all memory of gentler hours. As Jose fires, the man shouts. "Hey, there! what are you about?" "What are _you_ about? What do you want up here?" "If you were not so ready with your gun, my friend, you are more likely to find out. I'm Escamillo the Toreador." "Oh, well, then come up. I know you and you are welcome enough, but you run a fearful risk, let me tell you. You haven't sought very good company, I suppose you know." "I don't care particularly; because, my friend, I am in love, if you want to know." "Do you expect to fin
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

moment

 

Michaela

 

friend

 
Dancairo
 
Carmen
 

company

 
starts
 

appears

 

menace

 

loneliness


dismal
 

stones

 

beneath

 

crouches

 

misses

 
rolling
 

musket

 

figure

 

gentler

 
fearful

Escamillo

 
Toreador
 

expect

 

sought

 

suppose

 

memory

 

disgrace

 
killing
 

mother

 

lonely


shouts

 

Mercedes

 

Frasquita

 

fortunes

 

shuffle

 

watches

 

reaches

 

gather

 

bitterness

 

uncontrollable


Realizing

 

murder

 

laughs

 

committing

 

surprises

 

horrid

 
nonchalant
 

murmurs

 

dreadful

 

Remendado