Junior High School Literature, Book 1Elson, William H. (William Harris)
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Junior High School Literature, Book 1
Elson, William H. (William Harris)
American literature; English literature; Readers
The ladies then went up to him; and seeing him abashed by the sudden
displeasure shown by the duke, they spoke kind and encouraging words to
him; and Rosalind, when they were going away, turned back to speak some
more civil things to the brave young son of her father’s old friend; and
taking a chain from off her neck, she said, “Gentleman, wear this for
me. I am out of suits with fortune, or I would give you a more valuable
present.”
When the ladies were alone, Rosalind’s talk being still of Orlando, Celia
began to perceive her cousin had fallen in love with the handsome young
wrestler, and she said to Rosalind, “Is it possible you should fall in
love so suddenly?” Rosalind replied, “The duke, my father, loved his
father dearly.” “But,” said Celia, “does it therefore follow that you
should love his son dearly? for then I ought to hate him, for my father
hated his father; yet I do not hate Orlando.”
Frederick being enraged at the sight of Sir Rowland de Boys’ son,
which reminded him of the many friends the banished duke had among the
nobility, and having been for some time displeased with his niece,
because the people praised her for her virtues and pitied her for her
good father’s sake, his malice suddenly broke out against her; and while
Celia and Rosalind were talking of Orlando, Frederick entered the room,
and with looks full of anger ordered Rosalind instantly to leave the
palace, and follow her father into banishment; telling Celia, who in vain
pleaded for her, that he had only suffered Rosalind to stay upon her
account. “I did not then,” said Celia, “entreat you to let her stay, for
I was too young at that time to value her; but now that I know her worth,
and that we so long have slept together, risen at the same instant,
learned, played, and eaten together, I cannot live out of her company.”
Frederick replied, “She is too subtle for you; her smoothness, her very
silence, and her patience speak to the people, and they pity her. You
are a fool to plead for her, for you will seem more bright and virtuous
when she is gone; therefore open not your lips in her favor, for the doom
which I have passed upon her is irrevocable.”
When Celia found she could not prevail upon her father to let Rosalind
remain with her, she generously resolved to accompany her; and leaving
her father’s palace that night, she went along with her friend to seek
Rosalind’s father, the banished duke, in the forest of Arden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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