The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — Volume 1Richardson, Major (John)
History
The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — Volume 1
Richardson, Major (John)
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction; War stories
The cousins of Gerald Grantham had been in error in
supposing him to be the officer in command of the vessel
on board which the lover of Julia had embarked. His
transfer from the gun boat had taken place, but in
consideration of the fatigue he had undergone during the
three successive days in which he had been employed at
the batteries, the Commodore had directed another officer
to take command of the vessel in question, and charge
himself with the custody of the prisoners on board.
Finding himself at liberty, until the return of the
flotilla from this duty, the first care of Gerald was to
establish himself in lodgings at Detroit, whence he daily
sallied forth to the apartments in the Governor's house,
occupied by the unfortunate Major Montgomerie, in whose
situation he felt an interest so much the more deep and
lively as he knew his confinement to have been in some
degree the work of his own hands. All that attention and
kindness could effect was experienced by the respectable
Major, who, in return found himself growing more and more
attached to his youthful and generous captor. These
constant visits to the uncle naturally brought our hero
more immediately into the society of the niece, but
although he had never been able to banish from his memory
the recollection of one look which she had bestowed upon
him on a former occasion, in almost every interview of
the sort now, she preserved the same cold reserve and
distance which was peculiar to her.
A week had elapsed in this manner, when it chanced that
as they both sat one evening, about dusk, near the couch
of the invalid, the latter, after complaining of extreme
weakness and unusual suffering, expressed his anxiety at
the possibility of his niece being left alone and
unprotected in a strange country.
It was with a beating pulse and a glowing cheek that
Gerald looked up to observe the effect of this observation
on his companion. He was surprised, nay, hurt, to remark
that an expression of almost contemptuous loathing sat
upon her pale but beautiful countenance. He closed his
eyes for a moment in bitterness of disappointment--and
when they again opened and fell upon that countenance,
he scarcely could believe the evidence of his senses.
Every feature had undergone a change. With her face half
turned away, as if to avoid the observation of her uncle,
she now exhibited a cheek flushed with the expression of
passionate excitement, while from her eye beamed that
same unfathomable expression which bad carried intoxication
once before to the inmost soul of the youth. Almost wild
with his feelings, it was with difficulty he restrained
the impulse that would have urged him to her feet; but
even while he hesitated, her countenance had again
undergone a change, and she sat cold and reserved and
colorless as before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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