The revelation was too utterly unexpected, too difficult of belief to be
at once accepted or understood. Moor started at the name, then leaned
forward, breathless and intent, as if to seize the words before they
left her lips; words that recalled incidents and acts dark and unmeaning
till the spark of intelligence fired a long train of memories and
enlightened him with terrible rapidity. Blinded by his own devotion, the
knowledge of Adam's love and loss seemed gages of his fidelity; the
thought that he loved Sylvia never had occurred to him, and seemed
incredible even when her own lips told it. She had been right in fearing
the effect this knowledge would have upon him. It stung his pride,
wounded his heart, and forever marred his faith in love and friendship.
As the truth broke over him, cold and bitter as a billow of the sea, she
saw gathering in his face the still white grief and indignation of an
outraged spirit, suffering with all a woman's pain, with all a man's
intensity of passion. His eye grew fiery and stern, the veins rose dark
upon his forehead, the lines about the mouth showed hard and grim, the
whole face altered terribly. As she looked, Sylvia thanked heaven that
Warwick was not there to feel the sudden atonement for an innocent
offence which his friend might have exacted before this natural but
unworthy temptation had passed by.
"Now I have given all my confidence though I may have broken both our
hearts in doing it. I do not hope for pardon yet, but I am sure of pity,
and I leave my fate in your hands. Geoffrey, what shall I do?"
"Wait for me," and putting her away, Moor left the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account