The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century
The valet looked through the file, and handed the required copy.
“Now leave the others there where I can reach them.”
“Yes, sir. Any more orders?”
“No; you may leave the room. I will ring if I should want you.”
Left to himself, Alexander opened the paper and glanced over its
contents. Column after column, page after page, of that voluminous
journal passed in rapid review before him. But no notice of the duel was
to be found in that number. He threw it aside and took up and as
carefully examined another; but with no better success. Then he took a
third, of the date June fourth, and in it almost the first thing that
met his eye was the paragraph of which he was in search.
It was under the head “JERSEY,” and it read as follows:
“An ‘affair of honor’ so called came off yesterday morning, in the
neighborhood of St. Aubins, between His Highness Prince E——t of H——n
and his Lordship Baron K——n of K——n, in which the noble lord was the
challenger. The occasion of the hostile meeting is said to have been a
beautiful young widow, whose debut at the American Ambassadress’ ball
a few days since created such a sensation. Fortunately for the madmen
concerned, the duel did not end fatally for either party. The princely
H——n escaped scatheless and has returned to his own country. The noble
K——n is lying somewhat seriously wounded at St. Aubins, where it is
hoped he will have leisure to repent his folly. Such ‘affairs’ are
relics of barbarism, unworthy of an enlightened community and of the
nineteenth century. Where were the police?”
You may imagine with what feelings our chivalric Alexander read these
comments. So this was the light in which sensible and law-abiding people
viewed his heroism.
“As for me,” said he, as he laid the paper down, “it serve me right; but
I am truly sorry that _she_ has been even alluded to in the affair. She
has not been mentioned by name or even by initial, however, and I am
consoled by that circumstance.”
Then he turned to other parts of the paper, where he found something to
absorb his attention and to drive the memory of the affair from his
mind.
“Eh! what is this?”
“‘ONE THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD?’
“What state-prisoner has run away now, of such importance that a
thousand pounds is offered for his recovery?” said Alexander, as he
looked more closely at the advertisement.
“Ah! what’s this? ‘A child lost!’—a—Heaven have mercy on my soul, it is
Drusilla’s child!” he exclaimed, turning even paler that he had been
before, as he read the description of the missing boy.
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