For Woman's Love Part- 2 - Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (robert munsch read aloud .TXT) 📗
- Author: Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth
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House, Destitute And Degraded."
"I Don't Care If I Should Be! Do You Think Me Quite A Baby In Your
Hands? I Have Been Reflecting Since You Have Been Talking To Me. I Have
Been Remembering That You Told Me That The Law Gives The Widow One Third
Of Her Late Husband's Property When He Dies Intestate, And Entitles Her
To It, No Matter What Sort Of A Will He Makes."
"Unless There Has Been A Settlement, My Angel," Said Mr. Fabian,
Composedly.
"Well, There Has Been No Settlement In My Case. So Whether Aaron
Rockharrt Should Die Intestate, Or Whether He Should Make A Will, I Am
Sure Of My Lawful Third. So I Defy You, Mr. Fabian Rockharrt. You May
Denounce Me To Your Father He May Turn Me Out Of Doors Without A Penny,
And 'Without A Character,' As The Servants Say, But He Cannot Divorce
Part 2 Chapter 25 (Fabian And Rose) Pg 89Me, Because I Have Been Faithful To Him Ever Since Our Marriage. I Could
Compel Him By Law To Support Me, Even Though He Might Not Let Me Share
His Home. He Would Be Obliged By Law To Give Me Alimony In Proportion To
His Income, And, Oh! What A Magnificent Revenue That Would Be For
Me--With Freedom From His Tyranny Into The Bargain! And At His Death,
Which Could Not Be Long Coming At His Age, And After Such A Shock As His
Dutiful Son Proposes To Give Him, I Should Come In For My Third. And,
Oh, Where So Rich A Widow As I Should Be! With Forty Or Fifty Years Of
Life Before Me In Which To Enjoy My Fortune! Ah, You See, My Clever Mr.
Fabian Rockharrt, Though You Frightened Me Out Of Self-Possession At
First, When I Come To Think Over The Situation, I Find That You Can Do
Me No Great Harm. If You Should Put Your Threats In Execution And Bring
About A Violent Separation Between Myself And My Husband, You Would Do
Me A Signal Favor, For I Should Gain My Personal Freedom, With A
Handsome Alimony During His Life, And At His Death A Third Of His Vast
Estate," She Concluded, Snapping Her Fingers In His Face.
"I Think Not."
"Yes; I Would."
"No; You Would Not."
"Indeed! Why Would I Not, Pray?" She Inquired, With Mocking
Incredulity.
"Oh, Because Of A Mere Trifle In Your Code Of Morals--An Insignificant
Impediment."
"Tchut!" She Exclaimed, Contemptuously. "Do You Think Me Quite An
Idiot?"
"I Think You Would Be Much Worse Than An Idiot If, In Case Of My
Father's Discarding You, You Should Move An Inch Toward Obtaining
Alimony Or In The Case Of The Coveted 'Third.'"
"Pshaw! Why, Pray?"
"Because You Have Not, And Never Can Have, The Shadow Of A Right To
Either."
"Bah! Why Not?"
"Because--Alfred Whyte Is Living!"
She Caught Her Breath And Gazed At The Speaker With Great Dilating Blue
Eyes.
"What--Do--You--Mean?" She Faltered.
"Alfred Whyte, Your Husband Of Twenty Years Ago, Is Still Living And
Likely To Live--A Very Handsome Man Of Forty Years Old, Residing At His
Magnificent Country Seat, Whyte Hall, Dulwich, Near London."
Part 2 Chapter 25 (Fabian And Rose) Pg 90
"Married Again?" She Whispered, Hoarsely.
"Certainly Not; An English Gentleman Does Not Commit Bigamy."
"How Did You--Become Acquainted--With These Facts?"
"I Was Sufficiently Interested In You To Seek Him Out, When I Was In
England. I Discovered Where He Lived; Also That He Was Looking Out For
The Best Investment Of His Idle Capital. I Called On Him Personally In
The Interests Of Our Great Enterprise. He Is Now A Member Of The London
Syndicate."
"Did You Speak--Of Me?"
"Never Mentioned Your Name. How Could I, Knowing As I Did Of The
Stillwater Episode In Your Story?"
"And He Lives! Alfred Whyte Lives! Oh, Misery, Misery, Misery! Evil Fate
Has Followed Me All The Days Of My Life," Moaned Rose, Wringing Her
Hands.
"Now, Why Should You Take On So, Because Whyte Is Living? Would You Have
Had That Fine, Vigorous Man, In The Prime Of His Life, Die For Your
Benefit?"
"But I Thought He Was Dead Long Ago."
"You Were Too Ready To Believe That, And To Console Yourself. He Was
More Faithful To Your Memory."
"How Do You Know? You Said My Name Was Never Mentioned Between You."
"Not From Him, But From A Mutual Acquaintance, Of Whom I Asked How It
Was That Mr. Whyte Had Never Married, I Heard That He Had Grieved For
Her Out Of All Reason And Had Ever Remained Faithful To The Memory Of
His First And Only Love. My Own Inference Was, And Is, That The Report
Of Your Death Was Got Up By His Friends To Break Off The Connection."
"And You Never Told This 'Mutual Friend' That I Still Lived?"
"How Could I, My Dear, With My Knowledge Of Your Stillwater Affair? No,
No; I Was Not Going To Disturb The Peace Of A Good Man By Telling Him
That His Child-Wife Of Twenty Years Ago Was Still Living, But Lost To
Him By A Fall Far Worse Than Death. No--I Let You Remain Dead To Him."
"Oh, Misery! Misery! Misery! I Would To Heaven I Were Dead To Everybody!
Dead, Dead Indeed!" She Cried, Wringing Her Hands In Anguish.
"Come, Come, Don't Be A Fool! You See That You Are Utterly In My Power
And Must Do My Will. Do It, And You Will Come To No Harm; But Live And
Die In A Luxurious Home."
Part 2 Chapter 26 (Sylvan's Orders) Pg 91
While The Amiable Mr. Fabian Was Engaged In Soothing The Woman Whom He
Was Resolved To Make His Instrument In Gaining The Whole Of His Father's
Great Business Bequeathed To Him By Will, Carriage Wheels Were Heard
Grating On The Gravel Of The Drive Leading Up To The Front Door Of The
House, And A Few Minutes Afterward The Master's Knock Was Answered By
The Hall Waiter, And Old Aaron Rockharrt Strode Into The Drawing Room.
"I Did Not Know That You Had Gone Out Again. I Left You On The Library
Sofa Asleep," Said Rose, Deferentially, As She Sprang Up To Meet Him.
"I Was Called Out On Business That Don't Concern You. Ah, Fabian! How Is
It That I Find You Here To-Night?" Inquired The Iron King, As He Threw
Himself Into A Chair.
"I Brought Cora Home From The Banks," Replied The Eldest Son.
"Ah! How Is Mrs. Fabian?"
"Still Delicate. I Can Scarcely Hope That She Will Be Stronger For Some
Weeks Yet."
"When Are You Going To Bring Her To Call On My Wife?" Demanded The Iron
King, Bending His Gray Brows Somewhat Angrily And Looking Suspiciously
On His Son; For He Was Not Pleased That His Daughter-In-Law's Visit Of
Ceremony Had Been So Long Delayed.
"As Soon As She Is Able To Leave The House. Our Physician Has Forbidden
Her To Take Any Long Walk Or Ride For Some Time Yet."
"And How Long Is This Seclusion To Last?"
"Until After A Certain Event To Take Place At The End Of Three Months."
"Ah! And Then Another Month For Convalescence! So It Will Be Late In The
Autumn Before We Can Hope To See Mrs. Fabian Rockharrt At Rockhold!"
"I Fear So, Indeed, Sir!"
"I Do Not Approve Of This Petting, Coddling, And Indulging Women. It
Makes The Weak Creatures Weaker. If You Choose To Seclude Your Wife Or
Allow Her To Seclude Herself On Account Of A Purely Physiological
Condition, I Will Not Allow Mrs. Rockharrt To Go Near Her Until She Goes
Part 2 Chapter 26 (Sylvan's Orders) Pg 92To Return Her Call."
When Cora Reached Her Chamber That Evening, She Sat Down To Reflect On
All That Her Uncle Fabian Had Told Her Of The Past History Of Her
Grandfather's Young Wife, And To Anticipate The Possible Movements Of
Her Brother. Her Own Life, Since The Loss Of Her Husband--Now Loved So
Deeply, Though Loved Too Late--She Felt Was Over. The Future Had Nothing
For Herself. What, Therefore, Could She Do With The Dull Years In Which
She Might Long Vegetate Through Life But To Give Them In Useful Service
To Those Who Needed Help? She Would Go With Her Brother To The Frontier,
And Find Some Field Of Labor Among The Indians. She Would Found A School
With Her Fortune, And Devote Her Life To The Education Of Indian
Children. And She Would Call The School By Her Lost Husband's Name, And
So Make Of It A Monument To His Memory.
Revolving These Plans In Her Mind, Cora Rothsay Retired To Rest. The
Next Morning She Arose At Her Usual Hour, Dressed, And Went Down Stairs.
Old Aaron Rockharrt And His Young Wife Were Already In The Parlor,
Waiting For The Breakfast Bell To Ring.
She Had But Just Greeted Them When The Call Came, And All Moved Toward
The Breakfast Room.
Just As The Three Had Seated Themselves At The Table, And While Rose
Was Pouring Out The Coffee, The Sound Of Carriage Wheels Was Heard
Approaching The House, And A Few Minutes Later Mr. Clarence And Sylvan
Entered The Breakfast Room With Joyous Bustle.
"What--What--What Does This Unseemly Excitement Mean?" Sternly Demanded
The Iron King, While Cora Arose To Shake Hands With Her Uncle And
Brother; And While Rose, Fearful Of Doing Wrong, Did Nothing At All.
"What Is The Matter? What Has Happened? Why Have You Left The Works At
This Hour Of The Morning, Clarence?" He Requested Of His Son.
"I Came With Sylvan, Sir, For The Last Time Before He Leaves Us For
Distant And Dangerous Service, And For An Unlimited Period."
"Ah! You Have Your Orders, Then?" Said Mr. Rockharrt, In A Somewhat
Mollified Tone.
"Yes, Sir," Said The Young Lieutenant. "I Received My Commission By The
Earliest Mail This Morning,
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