The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
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The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century
“I did, Anna. I watched her and others of her tribe while they were
telling fortunes. I saw their _in_sight gave them a _fore_sight that the
ignorant and superficial might mistake for supernatural powers of second
sight and prophecy. I saw how they worked. For instance, they know as a
general fact that the wishes of the young run upon love; those of the
middle-aged upon money and worldly success; those of the old upon long
life. Therefore, to the young they always promise success in love; to
the mature, success in money matters; to the aged, length of days. If
they see a look of sorrow upon a young face, and no apparent cause, like
a suit of deep mourning, for it, they will tell the dupe that he or she
has been crossed in love, but that all will end well. If a look of care
upon a middle-aged face, they will speak of monetary anxieties; but they
will also promise a fortunate issue to the difficulty. If of weariness
upon an old face, they will still talk of long and happy years to come.
Moreover, they think since opposites usually attract each other, that it
is safe to tell a blonde young lady that a dark young gentleman is
thinking of her, and a brunette that her thoughts favor the attachment
of a certain fair ‘complected’ gentleman; and generally they hit the
truth.”
“Yes, the rule most generally holds good. Witness Alick, Dick, you and
me. Alick, a blonde, jilted me, another blonde, for you, a brunette. And
I was very willing to be left free to marry my dark-haired Dick.”
While Anna spoke the door opened and little Lenny entered, dragging in
his nurse, and full of excitement.
“Man! man! div Lenny dit!” he exclaimed, holding out a silver whistle to
view, and then putting it to his lips and blowing a shrill blast.
“Oh! oh! oh! goodness sake what lunatic gave the boy that? We shall be
deafened!” exclaimed Anna, clapping her hands to her ears.
Drusilla trembled with pleasure, for she instinctively knew the donor of
the whistle; but she smiled and lifted the boy in her arms, called Pina
to follow, and went to her own room.
“Who gave it to him, Pina?” she asked, as soon as she had shut the door.
“His father, ma’am.”
“Tell me all about it.”
“We were walking around the square, when all of a sudden who should come
up but Mr. Alick—I mean Lord Killpeople, as they call him here.”
“Killcrichtoun, Pina.”
“Well, Killchristians, ma’am; it’s all the same, only worse, because of
course it is much more devilisher, begging your pardon, ma’am, to kill
Christians than it is to do to common people. Any ways, up he comes.”
“And——What then? Go on.”
“I didn’t go in, ma’am, though I was minded to. I did as you directed me
to do on such occasions. I stopped and made a curtsy, and handed little
Lenny forward so as to place him in front of me facing of his father.
And says he:
“‘How do you do, Pina? When did you arrive? Whom did you come with?’
“And then, without waiting for me to answer them questions, he lifted up
little Lenny in his arms, and says he:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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