Joan Haste - H. Rider Haggard (fiction books to read .TXT) 📗

room, an example which Ellen did not follow.

“Now that we are quite alone, Henry, perhaps you will condescend to

unbosom yourself,” she said.

“Certainly, Ellen. I have told you that this unhappy woman has been

murdered. She died in my arms”—and he glanced at his coat—“now I

will tell you why and how. She was shot down by her husband, who

mistook her for me, whom he meant to murder. She discovered his plan

and personated me, dying in my stead. I do not wish to reproach either

of you; the thing is too fearful for reproaches, and that account you

can settle with your own consciences, as I must settle mine. But you

worked so, both of you, that, loving me as she did, and feeling that

she would have no strength to put me away otherwise, she gave herself

in marriage to a man she hated, to the madman who to-night has

slaughtered her in his blind jealousy, meaning to slaughter me. Do you

know who this woman was, mother? She was Mr. Levinger’s legitimate

daughter: it is Emma who is illegitimate; but she died begging me to

keep the secret from my wife, and if you are wise you will respect her

wish, as I shall. I have nothing more to say. Things have gone amiss

between us, whoever is to blame; and now—her life is lost, and—mine

is ruined.”

“Oh! this is terrible, terrible!” said Lady Graves. “God knows that,

whatever I have done, I acted for what I believed to be the best.”

“Yes, mother,” said Ellen boldly, “and not only for what you believed

to be the best, but for what is the best. This unfortunate girl is

dead, it seems, not through any deed of ours, but by the decrees of

Providence. Henry says that his life is ruined; but do not grieve,

mother,—he is not himself, and he will think very differently in six

months’ time. Also he is responsible for this tragedy and no one else,

since it springs from his own sin. ‘Les désirs accomplis,’—you know

the saying. Well, he has accomplished his desire; he sowed the seed,

and he must reap the fruit and harvest it as best he may.

“And now, with your permission, Henry, I will order the carriage. I

suppose that there will be policemen and reporters here presently, and

you can understand that just at this moment, with the elections coming

on, Edward and I do not wish to be mixed up in a most painful

scandal.”

FINIS

End of this Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook

Joan Haste by H. Rider Haggard