Philip Winwood: A Sketch of the Domestic History of an American Captain in the War of Independence; Embracing Events that Occurred between and during the Years 1763 and 1786, in New York and London: written by His Enemy in War, Herbert Russell, Lieutenant in the Loyalist Forces.Stephens, Robert Neilson
History
Philip Winwood: A Sketch of the Domestic History of an American Captain in the War of Independence; Embracing Events that Occurred between and during the Years 1763 and 1786, in New York and London: written by His Enemy in War, Herbert Russell, Lieutenant in the Loyalist Forces.
Stephens, Robert Neilson
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
"If you go now, I will never let you see me again!--Nay, you must drag
me after you, then!"
He was moving toward the door despite her hold; and now he caught her
wrists to force open the clasp in which she held him.
"Oh! you are crushing my arms!" she cried.
"Ay, the beautiful, dear arms--God bless them! But let me go, then!"
"I won't! You will have to kill me, first! You shall not spoil my
scheme!"
"Yours!"
"Yes, mine! Mine, against your commander, against your cause!" She was
wrought up now to a fury, at the physical force he exerted to release
himself; and for the time, swayed by her feelings only, she let policy
fly to the winds. "Your cause that I hate, because it ruined my hopes
before! You are a fool if you think my being your wife would have kept
me from fighting your hateful cause. I became your wife that I might
go to England, and when that failed I was yours no longer. Love
another? Yes!--and you shall not spoil his work and mine--not unless
you kill me!"
For a moment his mental anguish, his overwhelming shame for her,
unnerved him, and he stared at her with a ghastly face, relaxing his
pressure for freedom. But this weakness was followed by a fierce
reaction. His countenance darkened, and with one effort, the first
into which he had put his real strength, he tore her arms from him.
White-faced and breathing fast, with rage and fear of defeat, she ran
to a front window, and flung it open.
"By heaven, I'll stop you!" she cried. "Help! A rebel--a spy! Ah, you
men yonder--this way! A rebel spy!"
Philip looked over her head, out of the window. Far up the street
swaggered five or six figures which, upon coming under a corner lamp
whose rays yellowed a small circle of snow, showed to be those of
British soldiers. Their unaltered movements evidenced that they had
not heard her cry. Thereupon she shouted, with an increased voice:
"Soldiers! Help! Surround this house! A rebel--"
She got no further, for Philip dragged her away from the window, and,
when she essayed to scream the louder, he placed one hand over her
mouth, the other about her neck. Holding her thus, he forced her into
the rear chamber, and then toward the window by which he meant to
leave. At its very ledge he let her go, and made to step out to the
roof of the veranda. But she grasped his clothes with the power of
rage and desperation, and set up another screaming for help.
In an agony of mind at having to use such painful violence against a
woman, and how much more so against the wife he still loved; and at
the grievous appearance that she was willing to sacrifice him upon the
British gallows rather than let him mar her purpose, he flung her away
with all necessary force, so that, with a final shriek of pain and
dismay, she fell to the floor exhausted.
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