I meant to spend last
year upon the Continent. I did not expect to see you once in twelve
months; but the strange influence which possessed me in the hour of our
first meeting grew stronger upon me day by day. In spite of myself, I
thought of you; in spite of myself I came here again and again, to look
upon your face, to hear your voice, for a few brief moments, and then
to go out into the world, to find it darker and colder by contrast with
the brightness of your beauty. Little by little, the idea of your
becoming a public singer became odious to me," continued Sir Oswald.
"At first I thought with pride of the success which would be yours, the
worship which would be offered at your shrine; but my feeling changed
completely before long, and I shuddered at the image of your triumphs,
for those triumphs must, doubtless, separate us for ever. Why should I
dwell upon this change of feeling? You must have already guessed the
secret of my heart. Tell me that you do not despise me!"
"Despise you, Sir Oswald!--you, the noblest and most generous of men!
Surely, you must know that I admire and reverence you for all your
noble qualities, as well as for your goodness to a wretched creature
like me."
"But, Honoria, I want something more than your esteem. Do you remember
the night I first heard you singing in the market-place on the north
road?"
"Can I ever forget that miserable night?" cried the girl, in a tone of
surprise--the question seemed so strange to her--"that bitter hour, in
which you came to my rescue?"
"Do you remember the song you were singing--the last song you ever sang
in the streets?"
Honoria Milford paused for some moments before answering It was evident
that she could not at first recall the memory of that last song.
Pages:
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115